The Bijou Film Board discusses their favorite cinematic discoveries and experiences in 2023. Hoping to see a title you enjoyed? Read to find out what people liked!
Bijou Executive Team
Kat Trout-Baron | Executive Director
Top 5 New Releases:
- Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning (2023) Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
- Poor Things (2023) Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
- Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Directed by Martin Scorsese
- Asteroid City (2023) Directed by Wes Anderson
- Anatomy of a Fall (2023) Directed by Justine Triet
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- The Tom Cruise Filmography…. I cannot pick one title out of the 45 I watched, so I’m cheating and listing a few here: Magnolia (1999) directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Jerry Maguire (1996) directed by Cameron Crowe, Collateral (2004) directed by Michael Mann, Born on the Fourth of July (1989) directed by Oliver Stone, The Color of Money (1986) directed by Martin Scorsese, A Few Good Men (1992) directed by Rob Reiner, Risky Business (1983) directed by Paul Brickman, Interview with the Vampire (1994) Directed by Neil Jordan, and Mission: Impossible the entire series!!
- The General (1926) Directed by Buster Keaton
- Pickpocket (1959) Directed by Robert Bresson
- Paris, Texas (1984) Directed by Wim Wenders
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Directed by George Roy Hill
Top 5 Theatrical Experiences:
- Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning in IMAX. I waited all year for this release– it was my most anticipated film of 2023! I drove to Philadelphia to see it twice– once with my friend and again with my brother. I then drove to Washington D.C to see it with my dad and stepmom. A guy turned to me after my third viewing and high-fived me six times and talked to me about how much he wanted to see it again. It was the happiest I’ve felt at a theater– it reminded me what is so special about community engagement, and why the spectacle of cinema has captured my heart forever.
- Rain Man (1988) screening at FilmScene. It should be clear from my answers above that I am a Tom Cruise fan– I’ve made it my goal to see as many of his films in theaters as possible– Rain Man was my first theatrical retrospective title I got to see. The second he was on screen, I understood why he became a star– he was made for the theaters. His performances are meant to be on the biggest screen possible! I gripped my best friend Caitlin Lenz’s hand the entire time and I apologize to her greatly for the pain she might have felt.
- Eyes Wide Shut (1999) at the Philadelphia Film Society. I came home early this Christmas to see my favorite Kubrick with my brother in theaters. Another movie made for the theaters– you are enraptured in its mystery and its emotion, lulled into this dream-like reality. When the three hours are over, you feel tender and sad– the same way Alice described her emotions to Bill.
- Interview With A Vampire (1994) at the Varsity Cinema in Des Moines. I drove two hours with the lovely best friends Grace McCabe and Padric Timp to see this film– I had booked my tickets months prior, and had built it up to be the greatest cinema escapade to ever happen in the state of Iowa. I was right– to see Tom Cruise as Lestat on the big screen was a dream come true. I think Lestat is one of his finest performances, and perhaps one of his most transformative.
- Heat (1995) on 35mm in Wisconsin with recurring figures Grace McCabe and Padric Timp. This was the start of a beautiful friendship as they say in Casablanca… our first road trip together as friends! One of the best movies ever made as well– to see it on a print was extraordinary.
Emma Pech | Programming Director
Top 5 New Releases:
- Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Directed by Martin Scorsese
- May December (2023) Directed by Todd Haynes
- Four Daughters (2023) Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
- Anatomy of a Fall (2023) Directed by Justine Triet
- Trailer of a Film That Will Never Exist: Phony Wars (2023) Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Top 5 Discoveries:
- Bonnie and Clyde (1967) Directed by Arthur Penn
- Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) Directed by Todd Haynes
- Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) Directed by Maya Deren
- Citizen Kane (1941) Directed by Orson Welles
- Small Deaths (1996) Directed by Lynne Ramsey
Top 5 Theater Experiences:
- Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - I’ve never really connected with Moonrise Kingdom all that much, especially considering it marks the transition between Wes’ smaller-scale, intimate character work and his more elaborate ensembles. But seeing this in theatres as part of FilmScene 101, hearing the excellent sound design and music pound through the speakers (and have it all followed by a great lecture), I got to fall in love with this movie for the first time.
- But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) - This movie has a totally unique aesthetic and tone; I didn’t really get it when I first saw it because there really is just nothing else like it. Then I saw it as a Bijou Partnership at FilmScene with Honors DEI Council, in a packed theatre, and, well, let’s just say I get it now.
- Harold and Maude (1971) - The first Bijou screening of 2023, we played this to yet another packed theatre as an homage to Bijou’s 50th anniversary. One of the most influential independent films ever made, and yet it still manages to be completely and totally unique today.
- American Graffiti (1973) - Seeing American Graffiti for the first time on 4K was a life changing experience, even if it was in an almost entirely empty Marcus Sycamore.
- Girlfriends (1978) - I was looking forward to this Bijou After Hours and it was absolutely great! An intimate indie treasure from the 70s and one of the best-ever portraits of women artists and female friendship.
Kat Hirsch | Outreach Director
Top 5 New Releases:
- Oppenheimer (2023) Directed by Christopher Nolan
- The Holdovers (2023) Directed by Alexander Payne
- The Killer (2023) Directed by David Fincher
- Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Directed by Martin Scorsese
- Waitress: The Musical (2023) Directed by Diane Paulus and Brett Sullivan
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- The Thing (1982) Directed by John Carpenter
- Castle In the Sky (1991) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
- Gone Girl (2014) Directed by David Fincher
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993) Directed by Nora Ephron
- Being John Malkovich (1999) Directed by Spike Jonze
Top 5 Theater Experiences:
- The Holdovers (2023, Alexander Payne)-- Two of my best friends and I ran from our morning class without having eaten anything all day to make it to this movie in the middle of a Thursday, gorged on popcorn, laughed and cried, then immediately ran to our afternoon classes. It was a great day. I also loved the many references to Ancient Civilizations factoids.
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004, Michel Gondry)-- I think I cried a little when the first scene started playing. This movie means a lot to me, and I remember finishing it for the first time at 3am and staring at the ceiling in awe. I had just gotten a concussion a few hours before which I think added to the experience, too.
- Twilight (2008, Catherine Hardwicke)-- Twilight was the first event I helped at as a Bijou member, and I had actually never seen the film before! The theatre experience of being in a room full of people who practically knew the movie by heart deeply added onto my enjoyment of the film as the people around me grew excited for the cheesy, iconic lines.
- Barbenheimer (Oppenheimer from Christopher Nolan and Barbie from Greta Gerwig, 2023)-- A friend came in from out of town to do the Barbenheimer experience with me and a couple others; we dressed in mostly black, saw Oppenheimer, then got lunch and went to Ragstock to get some pink cravats and old shirts to see Barbie in. I personally wasn’t a fan of Barbie, but Oppenheimer was on my mind all day.
- Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003, Peter Jackson)-- I hadn’t seen the trilogy since I was 12, and one of my best friends didn’t even know what a Hobbit was until we were in the theatre! It was pretty magical to introduce the series to her.
General Board
James Altschul
Top 5 Films of 2023:
- Bottoms (2023) Directed by Emma Seligman
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson
- John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Directed by Chad Stahelski
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) Directed by Jeff Rowe
- Wonka (2023) Directed by Paul King
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- Death to Smoochy (2002) Directed by Danny Devito
- Run Ronnie Run! (2002) Directed by Troy Miller
- Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003) Directed by Bob Odenkirk
- BASEketball (1998) Directed by David Zucker
- Chan is Missing (1982) Directed by Wayne Wang
Top 5 Theater Experiences:
- Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) Directed by Emma Tammi
- Bottoms (2023) Directed by Emma Seligman
- Wonka (2023) Directed by Paul King
- The Room (2003) Directed by Tommy Wiseau
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) Directed by Francis Lawrence
Gigi Bell
Top 5 Films of 2023:
- Oppenheimer (2023) Directed by Christopher Nolan
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
- Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Directed by Martin Scorsese
- Bottoms (2023) Directed by Emma Seligman
- The Boy and the Heron (2023) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Top 5 Discoveries of 2023:
- Roman Holiday (1953) Directed by William Wyler
- Sorcerer (1977) Directed by William Friedkin
- Stop Making Sense (1984) Directed by Jonathan Demme
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) Directed by Howard Hawks
- Hot Fuzz (2007) Directed by Edgar Wright
Top 5 Movie Experiences:
- Doing Barbenheimer over the summer in Dublin on July 21st – I got to see both at the Irish Film Institute, an independent theater I fell in love with during my time in Ireland over the summer. Oppenheimer first in 70mm, then Barbie at night with friends. I recognized many people at both screenings, with many dressed in Barbie pink, many dressed like Oppenheimer, and at least one person dressed in a Barbie-pink Oppenheimer outfit. Probably the most delightful moviegoing day I’ve experienced in recent memory.
- Seeing Cillian Murphy in Dublin a couple of days before Oppenheimer released. I was too shy to go up to him. (Cillian if you ever see this I’m sorry for acting like a freak)
- Playing Twilight (2008) in 35mm for Bijou! I got to watch with some dear friends, and we had the time of our lives. Just really encapsulated the joy that the Twilight Renaissance has brought for me. Amazing to get to see this classic in a theater.
- Playing Pride and Prejudice (2005) for Bijou! I recall some people on the board were skeptical that this would do well, and we ended up selling out Theater 1 on a Tuesday night! Vindicated all P&P stans everywhere.
- Watching The Hunger (1983) for Late Shift at the Grindhouse. I’d never seen it before but had hotly anticipated it, and it exceeded my expectations – Bowie, Bauhaus, Catherine Deneuve/Susan Sarandon queer vampire love affair, what more does one need?
Erika Chagdes
Top 5 New Releases:
- Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023) Directed by Sam Wrech
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, and Kemp Powers
- The Holdovers (2023) Directed by Alexander Payne
- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023) Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig
- Waitress: The Musical (2023) Directed by Diane Paulus and Brett Sullivan
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) Directed by Jacques Demy
- Vamps (2012) Directed by Amy Heckerling
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993) Directed by Nora Ephron
- Castle in the Sky (1986) Directed by Castle in the Sky
- Bajirao Mastani (2015) Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Top 5 Theater Experiences:
- Twilight (Catherine Hardwicke, 2008)-- it was my first time seeing twilight and watching it in a theater with a sold out crowd was incredible! Everyone was laughing and cheering, I’ve never watched a film with an audience that was as enthusiastic as this one was. At one point the 35 mm film stopped working and we had ten minutes of black and just audio and it honestly made the experience even better. Truly an unforgettable screening!
- The Holdovers (Alexander Payne, 2023)-- My friends and I went to see this in the middle of a school day, right in between my two classes. One of my friends even skipped a class to go see it and honestly it made the experience that much better. I loved taking an afternoon to go see an amazing film that felt both nostalgic and new.
- Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Sam Wrech, 2023)-- My family and I traveled all the way to Dubuque just to see this in AMC theaters with my family and it was soooo worth it. We got there a little early and the employees let us switch our showtime to an earlier slot and the theatre wound up being mostly empty except for one family with little girls and a couple in the back. We sat in the front row (before the neck breakers) and got to experience the entire concert up close on the big screen with surround sound to boot. It was incredible!
- Rain Man (Barry Levinson, 1988)-- Barry Marlowe was there, spoke to the audience, and afterwards gave me a fist bump. What more is there to say?
- Back to the Future/Lord of the Rings-- I’m counting this as one because they’re on here for the same reason. These films were the first time my parents ever watched a film at FilmScene. My dad got to see Back to the Future on the big screen for the first time since 1985 and my mom got to watch the last film of her favorite trilogy in theaters for the first time ever. And I got to share my favorite movie theater with them.
Caitlin Lenz
Top 5 New Releases:
- Fallen Leaves (2023) Directed by Aki Kaurismäki
- Boy and the Heron (2023) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
- May December (2023) Directed by Todd Haynes
- Anatomy of the Fall (2023) Directed by Justine Triet
- The Iron Claw (2023) Directed by Sean Durkin
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- Paris, Texas (1984) Directed by Wim Wenders
- Harold and Maude (1971) Directed by Hal Ashby
- Mädchen in Uniform (1931) Directed by Leontine Sagan
- First Reformed (2017) Directed by Paul Schrader
- Prisoners (2013) Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Top 5 Theatrical Experiences:
- I went to the Music Box in Chicago for the first time a couple of weeks ago to see Carol, and was amazed by the gorgeous architecture and the melody of an old record playing before the trailers. Coupling that with watching one of the most important lesbian films of all time on a 35 mm print, with an audience filled with queer people, the recipe to win my heart!!
- Loved seeing the gorgeous colors of Twilight on a 35 mm print! What really made the experience was the crowd; I understood how big of a cultural phenomenon it was already, but seeing the audiences reactions to all the iconic moments was a treat!
- My first time seeing Top Gun: Maverick was horrible, so I was elated when it returned to Filmscene! The man sitting in front of Kat and I turned to us after the movie and said, “I saw the original movie in theaters when it first came out and the girls were screaming for Tom Cruise then too!” while we were wearing matching Iceman and Maverick ‘Happy Pride’ shirts.
- Seeing Oppenheimer in IMAX made me feel physically nauseous. Hearing a packed theater go dead quiet during the nuclear bomb testing scene was intense!
- Everyone cheering, dancing, and clapping throughout RRR was one of the most exciting moments of the year!
Grace McCabe
Top 5 New Releases:
- Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) Directed by Christopher McQuarrie (IMAX) - Restored my faith in cinema and probably God, and broke my record for most theater watches (4). I love how the “making-of” content, far from spoiling the film, promises us an unfiltered spectacle and the knowledge that what you are watching is real makes it all the more impressive. If someone tells you about the death-defying stunts they saw at the circus, you wouldn’t say they’re spoiling it, you’d say “Let me see that.” Tom Cruise continues to deliver on each and every front and Shea Whigham delights with my favorite performance of the year.
- Blackberry (2023) Directed by Matthew Johnson - An unexpected contender for the very top spot. Jay Baruchel gives what I found to be a very moving against-type performance, and of course Glenn Howerton is the most powerful speaker we have in the industry today and he should seek some sort of political position, preferably a dictator-esque one. Paced perfectly and ends on perhaps my favorite note of the year.
- Oppenheimer (2023) Directed by Christopher Nolan (70mm and IMAX) - 3 hours have never flown by so fast.
- The Iron Claw (2023) Directed by Sean Durkin - I saw this only days ago and it shot up through my rankings without a second thought, just an incredibly well-told and heartbreaking story.
- Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) Directed by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein - A stone-cold delight. I threatened that this would emerge victorious on my Top 5 of the year and look at us now, who would have thought? Me. I did.
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- Brazil (1985) Directed by Terry Gilliam, 1985 - Self-explanatory.
- True Stories (1986) Directed by David Byrne - People like us, who will answer the telephone
- The Fisher King (1991) Directed by Terry Gilliam (Gilliam, 1991) - This moved me so greatly that I knew that I had to get it on the biggest screen as soon as possible. Come see it in theaters at FilmScene on Jan 27th, 2024!
- Saw (2004) Directed by James Wan - My jaw dropped so violently that I had to scramble around on the floor to find it. This absolutely blew me away, especially since all I had were preconceived notions of nothing but torture for torture’s sake, and you’d better believe Hello Zepp was on my Spotify Wrapped 100. I haven’t had a cinematic experience this shocking since who knows when, and there is nothing I love more than a good cinematic shock.
- Time Bomb Y2K (2023) Directed by Brian Becker and Marley McDonald - Got the opportunity to see this at Refocus Festival and I could not make a Best Of list without putting this on it. This does a remarkable job of keeping a very cohesive and emotional thread running through it while also being entirely constructed from archival footage. Really wonderful stuff here with the interplay between time and media.
Top 5 Theater Experiences:
- Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) (in color and black&chrome) - I saw these at the Music Box in Chicago with my dear friend Josh, both at midnight, bookending Oppenheimer in 70mm. As my favorite movie of all time, seeing it in theaters for the first time was obviously going to be my best experience of the year and probably of my entire life who’s to say.
- Wonka (2023)- Tears of laughter were flowing down my face like a chocolate river. I have never laughed harder or danced with lighter feet. Wonka has been the direct cause of some of my most treasured and lasting friendships and funnily enough I can’t say that for any other movie... except one (see no.5)
- Tár (2022) - I saw this alone in Theater 2 when FilmScene brought it back for awards season, and I have never been more gobsmacked than I was during that ending credits song. People were getting up and filing out like the most earsplitting roar wasn’t ripping through every atom in their bodies – I for one was glued to my seat. Cate Blanchett doesn’t have an untalented bone in her body, she could not fail if she tried.
- Fast X (2023) in 4DX - In many ways my favorite movie of the year. It’s big, it's bold, it's brash, you have 30 seconds to save Rome.
- Heat (1995) in 35mm - Kat Trout and I were driven to Wisconsin by a mysterious benefactor who revealed himself to be none other than Lobster... rivaling Wonka for the top spot of Friendship Films!
Taryn Neal
Top 5 New Releases:
- Boy and the Heron (2023) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, and Kemp Powers
- Barbie (2023) Directed by Greta Gerwig
- Oppenheimer (2023) Directed by Christopher Nolan
- No Hard Feelings (2023) Directed by Gene Stupnitsky
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- The Prince of Egypt (1998) Directed by Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells, and Steve Hickner
- Black Swan (2010) Directed by Darren Aronofsky
- The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) Directed by Isao Takahata
- The Shining (1980) Directed by Stanley Kubrick
- Paris, Texas (1984) Directed by Wim Wenders
Top 5 Theater Experiences:
- Barbie (2023) Directed by Greta Gerwig
- Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) Directed by Emma Tammi
- Oppenheimer (2023) Directed by Christopher Nolan
- The Boy and the Heron (2023) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
- Beau is Afraid (2023) Directed by Ari Aster-- for the amount of people who left in the first 10 minutes
Caleb Payne
Top 5 New Releases:
- Trailer of a Film That Will Never Exist: Phony Wars (2023) Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
- The Mask (2023) Directed by Conner O'Malley (Conner O’Malley)
- Poison (2023) Directed by Wes Anderson
- Time Bomb Y2K (2023) Directed by Brian Becker and Marley McDonald
- Donks (2023) Directed by Felix Colegrave
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- Meet the Hollowheads (1989) Directed by Thomas R. Burman
- The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief (2006) Directed by Jake Clennell
- My Tender and Affectionate Beast (1978) Directed by Emil Loteanu
- Pistol Opera (2001) Seijun Suzuki
- Ouvroir the Movie (2010) Directed by Chris Marker
Top 5 Theater Experiences:
- Stop Making Sense – Theater 2 at FilmScene was bouncing to the grooves of the best movie to be (re)released in 2023 and I practically had the place to myself. Only the people sitting in the balcony section prevented me from getting out of my seat and dancing to “Life During Wartime”. Then after it ended, I rushed over to KRUI where me and Gigi got to gush about Bryne’s smooth moves on Bijou Banter.
- LoTR Trilogy – The full marathon of all three LoTR movies at FilmScene (not all in one day though, we weren’t that foolhardy). Getting to watch in a theater these movies which I hadn’t seen since I was hobbit-sized was a surreal and exciting experience. I started off unsure if the films would live-up to my memory of them, but by the end I was almost as into it as the woman sitting next to us who brought a whole bottle of red wine to the final movie and was talking to Aragorn through the screen.
- Yentl – The last film of Prof. Nathan Platte’s FilmScene 101 series on movie-musicals. I was part of the movie musicals course that this series was developed for, and I have to say it’s quite the experience to watch a movie in a theater with an entire class of people you know. Definitely the most memorable film of the course, not so much for the film itself but for the immense amount of debate, arguments, and running jokes it created. “Lithuania Mentioned!”
- Haunted Mansion (2023) – The obligatory Marcus Theater outing. Somehow, despite the fact that multiplexes across the country were sold-out for this, the undisputed #1 film of 2023, me and the gang managed to get seats in a completely empty (and somewhat damp) theater. We proceeded to scream, shout, and laugh until the movie finally gave in and ended. Grace missed Danny Devito almost getting run-over by a truck though, so we’ll have to grab the inevitable Criterion Blu-ray release.
- Steelyard Blues – AKA that movie that has both Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland but isn’t Klute. A Grindhouse classic on 16mm. The print was horrendously washed-out and was basically monochrome red. The reel broke at one point. We all cheered at every line from the trailer and I can still quote most of it by heart. “You’re a bum!”
David Priester
Top 5 New Releases:
- Asteroid City (2023) Directed by Wes Anderson
- Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Directed by Martin Scorsese
- The Holdovers (2023) Directed by Alexander Payne
- M3Gan (2023) Directed by Gerard Johnstone
- Saw X (2023) Directed by Kevin Greutert
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- Saw (2004) Directed by James Wan
- Saw 6 (2009) Directed by Kevin Greutert
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) Directed by Tobe Hooper
- Alien (1979) Directed by Ridley Scott
- Ikiru (1952) Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Top 5 Theater Experiences:
- The Flash (2023) Directed by Andrés Muschietti
- Godzilla Minus One (2023) Directed by Takashi Yamazaki in IMAX
- The Searchers (1956) Directed by John Ford
- Hands That Bind (2021) Directed by Kyle Armstrong
- Gran Turismo (2023) Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Padric Timp
Top 5 New Releases:
- The Killer (2023) Directed by David Fincher
- Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Directed by Martin Scorsese
- John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Chad Stahelski
- Showing Up (2023) Directed by Kelly Reichardt
- Oppenheimer (2023) Directed by Christopher Nolan
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009 Directed by John Hyams
- The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) Directed by Wes Anderson
- The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) Directed by Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell
- Winchester ’73 (1950) Directed by Anthony Mann
- Blast of Silence (1961) Directed by Allen Baron
Top 5 Theater Experiences:
- Heat - In April myself and a few other esteemed members of the board took a road trip to the University of Madison to see a 35mm print of Michael Mann’s magnum opus. Not just a chance to see the best movie ever made on the big screen, but the beginning of a couple of beautiful friendships. We saw a guy rollerskating and playing the ukulele after.
- The Royal Tenenbaums - I had one of the worst theater experiences of my life and one of the best with this movie, all within a couple weeks in June. My first time seeing it, about halfway through a very rowdy couple came in and were so disruptive I could barely concentrate on the movie. I went back the next day to see it with a clearer head and loved it. A couple weeks later, the day after my birthday, it was playing on 35mm at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago, so I said what the hell and made the drive. A beautiful print and a wonderful audience this time, cemented Tenenbaums as an all-time favorite for me. I went as Richie for Halloween.
- The Lord of the Rings trilogy - I had always wanted to see these in a theater and this year I got to. What else can you say.
- Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves/John Wick: Chapter 4 - A pleasure to return to my old stomping grounds of Platteville, Wisconsin for this double feature with my best friend. A couple of the year’s better blockbusters I reckon.
- Cemetery of Splendor - I cannot for the life of me recall or find any info on who exactly put this on, but in January someone in the English department hosted a screening of Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s wonderful 2015 slow cinema in a classroom at EPB. Multiple walkouts in the first 10 minutes.
Ben Romero
Top 5 New Releases:
- Anatomy of a Fall (2023) Directed by Justine Triet
- Four Daughters (2023) Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
- The Taste of Things (2023) Directed by Tran Anh Hung
- Beau is Afraid (2023) Directed by Ari Aster
- Earth Mama (2023) Directed by Savannah Leaf
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- Morvern Callar (2002) Directed by Lynne Ramsay
- In Vanda’s Room (2000) Directed by Pedro Costa
- In the Realm of the Senses (1976) Directed by Nagisa Ōshima
- Bully (2001) Directed by Larry Clark, USA
- India Song (1975) Directed by Marguerite Duras
Top 5 Theater Experiences:
- Saw Christian Petzold’s ‘Afire’ in theaters while visiting my sisters in Portland. I was the only one in the theater and stepped on some burned aluminum foil in the street before the screening, so, vibes… also on the bus ride there, there were some heavily disabled homeless people fighting for wheelchair space, which was really depressing… Went to Powell’s Books after then got lost on the bus and wandered on the railroad tracks for like an hour and a half.
- Saw ‘Babylon’ with a friend in Arkansas and there was a guy watching it with us who kept mumbling to himself, then sporadically left for like 40 minute stretches just to come back and yell at the screen lmao, but a Damien Chazelle advert thanked an empty theater before the film started for coming to the movies so all is forgiven I guess.
- Speed Racer (2008) and some choices... bad idea…
- Tommy at Grindhouse with the mutuals, people were screaming or babbling in my ear their existential conundrums while Ann-Margaret was rolling around in beans; then we ran around Iowa City to play pinball after.
- Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) at Refocus way too early, gun to my head: it’s so over.
Dana Woolery
Top 5 New Releases:
- Anatomy of a Fall (2023) Directed by Justine Triet
- Past Lives (2023) Directed by Celine Song
- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (2023) Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig)
- May December (2023) Directed by Todd Haynes
- Rye Lane (2023) Directed by Raine Allen Miller
Top 5 New Discoveries:
- Son Of Paleface (1952) Directed by Frank Tashlin
- Real Life (1979) Directed by Albert Brooks
- Targets (1968) Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
- Shoes (1916) Directed by Lois Weber
- Safe (1995) Directed by Todd Haynes
Top 5 Theater Experiences:
- Watching movies with friends
- The Oscars and binging all the nominees that year
- Doing a Quadruple feature on my birthday
- Seeing Twilight on 35mm at 10pm at night in theater full of Twihards
- Film club
Thanks for reading-- we'll see you at the movies in 2024!