June was actually a lighter movie-watching month for me, compared at least to the usual high count I’ve had recently. That’s partly due to me dedicating a couple of weeks to finally finishing the last couple of seasons of Columbo (though I still watched a couple of films in between episodes)! I’ll probably pick up another old show to watch within a month or so, but I’ll probably keep my focus on films in July, which includes even more trips to the theater; it’s been great seeing movies on the big screen again. Anyway, before moving on to another month of movies, a quick look back at what I watched over the past 30 days.

New-to-Me: 37

Re-Watched: 11

New-to-Me Films by Decade:

• 1910s – 0
• 1920s – 0
• 1930s – 0
• 1940s – 8
• 1950s – 11
• 1960s – 2
• 1970s – 5
• 1980s – 4
• 1990s – 4
• 2000s – 0
• 2010s – 0
• 2020s – 3

List of New-to-Me Films:

1. La Cage aux Folles (1978)
2. The Prodigal (1955)
3. Skirts Ahoy! (1952)
4. This Time for Keeps (1947)
5. The Hoodlum Saint (1946)
6. Lizzie (1957)
7. Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
8. So Dear to My Heart (1948)
9. Jupiter’s Darling (1955)
10. Rose Marie (1954)
11. The Unfinished Dance (1947)
12. Sombrero (1953)
13. In the Heights (2021)
14. ‘Round Midnight (1986)
15. Daddy Nostalgia (1990)
16. Magic (1978)
17. Walk a Crooked Mile (1948)
18. That’s Life! (1986)
19. Luca (2021)
20. Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
21. Full of Life (1956)
22. The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956)
23. The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956)
24. The Mark of the Renegade (1951)
25. Five Golden Hours (1961)
26. Knock on Any Door (1949)
27. Eyes in the Night (1942)
28. A Doll’s House (1973)
29. 5 Card Stud (1968)
30. Any Number Can Play (1949)
31. House of Games (1987)
32. The Gambler (1974)
33. Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)
34. Paris Is Burning (1990)
35. Original Cast Album: Company (1970)
36. In & Out (1997)
37. The Birdcage (1996)

A Few Favorite Discoveries:

I expected I would enjoy Luca as I often do with Pixar movies, but it left a bigger impression on me than I imagined it would from when I first saw the trailer. It’s a more intimate story, focusing mostly on the friendships between the title character and Alberto, a fellow sea monster, and Giulia, a girl the two boys befriend when they take on their human form to explore the world out of the underwater home. It’s a great summertime movie that also features some nice nods to classic Hollywood and Italian films. It’s too bad this wasn’t released in theaters, I’m sure I would’ve enjoyed it even more on the big screen.

Speaking of seeing movies on the big screen, I just watched The Birdcage last night in theaters thanks to TCM’s partnership with Fathom Events. It’s a movie I’d been curious to see for a while, so I’m glad I didn’t end up watching it until now when this opportunity arose. I actually saw the original French film this is based on, La Cage aux Folles, and enjoyed that as well, but this American remake edges it out for me. What really elevates this version of the story is the dynamic cast led by Robin Williams and Nathan Lane; this film fully deserved the Best Ensemble award it won at the Screen Actors Guild.