Well, we’ve made it through the first month of the year. It was a somber start though, with beloved film figures Peter Bogdanovich and Sidney Poitier passing away within the first week. I didn’t get around to actually watching or revisiting some of their films like I normally do after someone’s passing, but fortunately, there are several tribute screenings planned around L.A. for February that I plan to check out! I’m still getting into the swing of things in my new city, as having a plethora of options for movies can be overwhelming. But my regular spots for repertory screenings are quickly becoming the Academy Museum and the New Beverly, as I went to a couple of screenings at both of them in January. And I plan on adding the American Cinematheque theaters to my list, as they’ve had some great programming (including a Sidney Poitier tribute this month). It’s just a matter of finding the time to see what I want to see! Anyway, aside from the exciting screenings around town, I’m also still catching up with releases from the past year, especially as we get deeper into awards season. So with that said, let’s take a look at what I’ve watched so far this year…

New-to-Me: 35

Re-Watched: 12

New-to-Me Films by Decade:

• 1910s – 0
• 1920s – 1
• 1930s – 1
• 1940s – 4
• 1950s – 2
• 1960s – 7
• 1970s – 4
• 1980s – 1
• 1990s – 3
• 2000s – 4
• 2010s – 1
• 2020s – 7

List of New-to-Me Films:

1. One Hundred and One Nights (1995)
2. Swept Away (1974)
3. Bright Star (2009)
4. Certain Women (2016)
5. Smooth Talk (1985)
6. The Red Pony (1949)
7. Track of the Cat (1954)
8. The Last Tycoon (1976)
9. Barton Fink (1991)
10. Ed Wood (1994)
11. Being the Ricardos (2021)
12. The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)
13. Encanto (2021)
14. Don’t Look Up (2021)
15. CODA (2021)
16. Such Good Friends (1971)
17. Face to Face (1976)
18. Scream (2022)
19. One Potato, Two Potato (1964)
20. Nothing But a Man (1964)
21. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
22. The Matrix Revoluations (2003)
23. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
24. Shadow of a Woman (1946)
25. Over-Exposed (1956)
26. The Prize (1963)
27. The Art of Love (1965)
28. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
29. That Darn Cat! (1965)
30. The Ugly Dachshund (1966)
31. The Garden of Allah (1936)
32. Joan of Arc (1948)
33. Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
34. Nanook of the North (1922)
35. Quai des Orfèvres (1947)

A Few Favorite Discoveries: 

Encanto (2021), directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush

I had originally intended on watching Encanto the week of Thanksgiving, as I usually like to check out the latest movie Disney releases around that holiday. But I was getting ready for my big move to L.A. then, so I didn’t get around to catching up with it until it hit Disney+ recently, but I’m glad I finally got to it! I loved the animation, from the vibrant colors to the way the characters were choreographed for the musical numbers (which are super catchy, thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda). And I enjoyed the familial focus of the film and the interactions between the characters, magical and otherwise.

CODA (2021), directed by Siân Heder

Another 2021 film about family that stuck with me this month was CODA, which I saw shortly after Encanto. It’s a sweet story following a teenager (Emilia Jones) trying to pursue her passion for singing while also supporting her deaf family and their fishing business. The actors playing the family at the center of this movie feel so natural together so the strong bond between their characters really elevates the story. I really liked the performances throughout the film, but especially enjoyed Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin as the parents, both of whom have their own touching, shining moments in the film.