The Selfish Meme

Pam at Scarlett Cinema throws down a challenge, and I (sort of) rise to the occasion.

The point of this little drawing-room game (besides providing entertainment for a lazy Wednesday afternoon) is to pick a week-or-so worth of movies to show at an imaginary theatre (as presumably you are not an actual programmer and will not actually be screening any or all of these movies at the New Beverly Cinema due to the fact that you are merely some dork on the internet playing pretend). What follows is an extremely selfish list; I have not programmed these films with a view to edifying or even entertaining anyone. Nor have I thought much about it particularly. These are merely several films I either haven't seen (either ever or merely in a long while) and want to. Also, although I am fairly unimpressed with (by?) Diablo Cody's '80s-heavy selections, I will admit that Desperately Seeking Susan really is on my list of movies I want to see soon, that I think Stripes and Labyrinth are great movies, and that Grey Gardens is my favorite documentary ever. I am also kind of freaked out by the fact that one of my selections is actually playing at the Beverly later this month. That's just weird.

1. Purple Noon
I love The Talented Mister Ripley and have always wanted to see this adaptation of it. I just missed it at Film Forum, but it's on Netflix so I can always play Imagination Festival at home by myself ...

2. The Thing from Another World (1951)
I don't know why, I'm just in the mood to see it. We own it and it sits on the shelf and I think, I want to see this. It was even playing in our household at Christmas but I was in a post-Turkey daze and fell asleep.

3. Magnificent Ambersons
I have never seen this movie in its entirety. It floats around rep cinemas now and again. So if I had my way, it would be now.

4. Greed
Ditto.

5. The Women (1939)
The George Cukor version. Besides showcasing stars I love (Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell) and being apparently very risque for its time, this movie is about to be permanently defiled in public consciousness by Debra Messing and a barely recognizable Anette Bening (and Meg Ryan with collagen-rich lips and SJP-circa-1998 hair) and I'd like to see the original before that happens.

6. The Cable Guy
Just in the mood to see it I guess. It's in my queue, but I'd like to subject many other people to seeing it with me.

7. Let's Go Native (1930)
I was recently led to believe (due to my habit of skimming rather than reading) that this movie was playing on TCM this month. It's not. But now I've got a taste for it.

8. The Patsy/Show People (Marion Davies)
You know, I'd really like to see some of her comedies. I always hear about how underrated she was and how her shit was so funny, so I'd like to see some of that. I chose these two titles because they're supposed to showcase her to the best of her abilities.

9. The Crime of Monsieur Lang(e).
See #2 and #3.

10. The Wind
See #9.

11. Little Darlings
My favorite summer-camp movie ever. I don't know why I thought of this title, it just popped into my head. Turns out it was fate.

12. Big Business & other shorts
I was just lamenting that this movie is not available on DVD and I'd really like to see it again. Since it's short, I'd pad the bill with other short comedies.

So that's it -- I'd subject a city full of people to watching what I want to watch, recklessly programming movies I haven't even seen, just for my own amusement. It's probably a good thing I have no actual power.