Wow, we’re still here. It’s been a crazy year to say the least but also one that is just as messy as the year before in these times of uncertainty with everyone choosing sides. Whether it’s conservative or liberal, alt-right or extreme-leftist, political correctness and social justice, and all sorts of shit. In all honesty, I’m tired of these labels and I don’t want to choose sides. I found myself more and more on the outs with those who have become extremely sensitive about certain issues to the point that I officially left a fan forum for one of my favorite bands all because there’s a bunch of assholes who have become self-righteous and hypocritical about people who don’t stand by certain standards society have as I now see them for what they’ve become. It’s dangerous and extreme to the point that it takes away certain freedoms of individuals who want to think more for themselves and see reason as that is starting to fall by the wayside.
School shootings, immigration issues, racial violence, witch hunts, violent disagreements, and all of these has made 2018 a pretty insane year. Even as it is clear that people are starting to lose their minds where this recent season of South Park definitely reflects all of the problems that is happening. I think this scene from its season finale says it all about all of the bullshit that’s been happening.
Thankfully, there has been some kind of escape from all of the terrors of the world but also helped me keep my feet on the ground and still be aware of what is happening. It’s not just through music, television, and Internet clips that’s been helpful but mainly film. Cinema is the art form that I seem to get more and more with each passing year as it often says something about who we are or what we strive to be whether it’s trying to be artistic or not say anything other than just entertain. In the year of 2018, I saw a total of 414 films in 241 first-timers and 173 re-watches. Not bad as it is down from last year but still a solid number. Of the 38 first-timers that I saw were films directed by women though it’s 14 short from the 52 Films by Women pledge that I wanted to do as I hope to try again next year. Theatrically, I saw 15 feature films plus a short film as it is a slight improvement from last year as I think I did a good job while one of the highlights this year has been my Blind Spot assignments for the year as here is my final ranking of the 2018 Blind Spot Series:
1. L'Argent
2. Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid
3. Fat Girl
4. Black Girl
5. Don't Look Now
6. Wim Wenders’ Road Trilogy (Alice in the Cities – Wrong Move – Kings of the Road)
7. Nayak
8. The Emigrants/The New Land
9. Swept Away... by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August
10. The Best Years of Our Lives
11. All Quiet on the Western Front
12. Rebel Without a Cause
2018 is a year of discoveries as I’ve managed to discover so many incredible films. Here’s a list of the 50 best pre-2010 first-timers that I saw in 2018:
1. Thief
2. Tampopo
3. Babette's Feast
4. A Taste of Honey
5. Lola Montes
6. Tokyo Drifter
7. Il Posto
8. From Here to Eternity
9. Le deuxieme souffle
10. The American Friend
11. Antonia's Line
12. Gallipoli
13. Polytechnique
14. Funny Games
15. The Tree of Wooden Clogs
16. Dersu Uzala
17. My Brother's Wedding
18. The Thief of Bagdad
19. Brewster McCloud
20. Le Notte Bianche
21. Downfall
22. The French Lieutenant's Woman
23. The Producers
24. A Special Day
25. Dont Look Back
26. The Go-Between
27. Aileen: The Life and Death of a Serial Killer
28. I Fidanzati
29. Kapo
30. Bitter Moon
31. Marriage Italian Style
32. Thieves Like Us
33. L'Auberge Espagnole
34. Sugar
35. Affliction
36. Cheyenne Autumn
37. Immortal Love
38. No Direction Home
39. The Year of Living Dangerously
40. Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne
41. Husbands
42. Maelstrom
43. The Missouri Breaks
44. Two Lovers
45. Ginger and Fred
46. Le Petit Soldat
47. The Immortal Story
48. Great Expectations
49. Faust
50. The Invisible Man
2018 was a pretty good for year for me personally through not just film discoveries but also in a couple of events such as seeing Nine Inch Nails for the fifth time by attending the second of two shows they did at the Fox Theatre as well as the Atlanta United in their second year winning the MLS Cup giving this city its first championship in 23 years. I’ve also become more interested in what New Japan Pro Wrestling is offering while I’m also looking forward to All Elite Wrestling from Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks in the hopes that it can give wrestling fans the alternative it needs from the bullshit that is WWE. Until then, this is thevoid99 wishing everyone a Happy New Year.
© thevoid99 2018
4 comments:
I hope 2019 is a good one for you. I also promise to catch up with your content.
@vinnie harris-Hey, just take your time. Better late than never. Plus, we all have other things to do.
Impressive list of film discoveries. Good to see you enjoyed The French Lieutenant's Woman which was on my favorite discoveries list for 2017. I must get to Black Girl, Tampopo and Affliction when there’s time.
Your post encouraged me to see Alice in the Cities this week which is a pretty great Paper Moon-esque road movie and I intend to watch Wenders’ Kings of the Road later.
@Chris-The entire Road Trilogy as well as Black Girl, Tampopo, and Affliction are a must. I realized that when I posted the list. I forgot to add The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner which I also think people should see as it's part of the new wave of British cinema in the 1960s.
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