I can't believe that it's already the end of November. This challenge has been an interesting one. It has allowed me to expand my repertoire, as well as discover films that I normally wouldn't have watched. I am still uncertain whether I will be able to complete my goal, but will at least get pretty close. Let's dive in!

221. Don't Bother to Knock
222. La Notte
223. Saturday Night Fever
224. Seven Samurai
225. I Was a Teenage Zombie
226. The Thief and the Cobbler (workprint)
227. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
228. Beavis and Butthead Do America
229. Jubilee
230. Dark Places

Don't Bother To Knock (1952)

I found this film surprising in the best way. I do not want to say much about it, so that I do not ruin the way that it twists and turns, but just know that you are in for an incredible early Marilyn Monroe performance.

Standout Moment: There is a specific moment where the film breaks into a new type of story. It is a signal of things to come.

La Notte (1961)

As with any Antonioni film, La Notte is meandering (meant as a compliment) and gorgeous. The film takes its time and for good reason. Antonioni films, at least in my opinion, are more about feelings than they are about story. As far as its part in his trilogy, La Notte is really my 2nd favorite. It is hard to live up to the success of L'avventura, but this film explores some interesting territory with its middle aged couple on the verge of collapse.

Standout Moment: The last thirty-or-so minutes at the party are incredible.

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

I finally had a chance to watch this. After all of the years of build up to "one of the best films of the 70's" I have to say that I was totally disappointed. This is a timeless story that has been told many other times in a variety of better ways. The "heroes" are all supremely unlikable, the dancing is laughably bad, and the movie condones rape in a variety of ways. The only things that save it are the killer cinematography and the amazing soundtrack.

Standout Moment: That opening is incredibly promising.

Seven Samurai (1954)

This one was on my list of "must watch" films for this year. I have seen the majority of Kurosawa's work, yet I had put off Seven Samurai because of the extremely long running time. After watching it, it is now one of my favorite films in his oeuvre (right after Yojimbo and High and Low). My boys loved it as well, and you know if a 3+ hour film can keep the attention of a 7 year old and a 5 year old, it has to be incredible.

Standout Moment: The very end is earned and incredible.

I was A Teenage Zombie (1987)

This film is all kinds of crazy. If the name and the screenshot get you excited: go for it. If the idea of a zombie drug dealer killing off dopey teens gets you flummoxed, maybe you should pass.

Standout Moment: There are some really great jokes amid the teen boy humor.

The Thief and The Cobbler (workprint) (2016)

As a longtime fan of The Thief and the Cobbler, I jumped at the opportunity to see the never-before-seen work print at MoMA, along with an intro by the director himself. Seeing the work print was amazing. It was interesting to compare what was missing from this and what was brand new in comparison to the Recobbled Cut that was put together by fans of the film. The film is beautiful. There is nothing else like it, and it is disappointing to see it go unfinished. It is the last work done by many important animators, and some of the first work by many now-famous artists.

Standout Moment: The big climax with the one-eyes.

Girls Just wanna have fun (1985)

I watched this film a ton of times as a kid, mostly at the behest of my sisters and my cousin. It is actually a rather wonderful teen film with a lot of fun scenes. The dancing (unlike Saturday Night Fever) is actually usually impressive. This is great light-fare with a great soundtrack to boot.

Standout Moment: The punks breaking into the party.

Beavis and Butthead Do America (1996)

I find it hilarious that parents were afraid that their kids would want to be like Beavis and Butthead. If your kid wants to be like Beavis and Butthead, you have bigger problems than them trying to emulate cartoon characters. The show was amazing, and this movie is a great addition to it.

Standout Moment: The boys meeting their dads for the first time.

Jubilee (1978)

Jubilee is anarchy incarnate. There are sections of the film that are insane, bonkers, and unreal. There are other parts that seem to drag on forever and ever. I guess that's the the nature of visual anarchy, though. When it works it really works, and when it doesn't it's miserable. The soundtrack is amazing, though, and I would suggest anyone who is into punk or feminist film to watch this.

Standout Moment: Richard O'Brien is in this film, and he is amazing, as usual.

Dark Places (2015)

Dark Places is based off of a book by the author of Gone Girl. The story itself is layered and nuanced, but the direction of this film is muddled and aimless. The two extremes even out to a mostly bland adaption of the book. The performances are really good, especially Christina Hendricks, but the camerawork, art direction, and editing are all rather blah.

Standout Moment: The first scene between brother and sister in the prison.

365 Films- Post 28