When I worked as a morning show producer and anchor in broadcast news, a running joke between my meteorologist and I was how there were several films I’d never seen. Several popular films that everyone and their mother has seen. In fact, looking at some Greatest Films of All Time lists from places like IMDb and others, I have never seen the majority of them; this includes the likes of The Godfather films, Schindler’s List, Pulp Fiction, Saving Private Ryan, Braveheart, and so many others. But lately I have been working to rectify this issue.
So I Haven’t Seen A Lot Of Popular Films
For no particular reason, really. There’s just too many, I think. While I have seen some Marvel films, there are a great number of films in that cinematic universe I have never seen all the way through. Like, what do you mean where are three Iron Mans’? But I would like to slowly resolve this problem by watching some of these films and finally seeing what I’ve been missing. It wasn’t until the last year or so that I finally saw Inception and Memento. I write to you today, however, to discuss two recent viewings and my initial impressions of them.
I Watched Interstellar & Groundhog Day For The First Time
About two weeks ago, I watched Interstellar (2014), an adventure/epic/scifi/time travel film that is (I guess) one of the greatest films of all time and is actually one of the films my old meteorologist insisted I had to watch. Sure I watched it several years too late (…or did I? Hehe, time travel joke) but I finally did it. So what did I think? Overall, I enjoyed it. I loved the premise; I loved the differing timelines and keeping up with how much time passes on Earth versus in space (even started calculating it on my phone); and the idea of the entire film’s journey being in vain and all of humanity is totally lost. If I hadn’t studied journalism, in another lifetime, I would have studied astronomy.
However, I do wish Interstellar had committed to the idea of the entire plot being for naught. I love the idea of extravagant efforts to save humanity, and placing all this confidence in these far-off planets, only to have: it all be a lie, there to be no hospitable planet, and while on the journey humanity perishes because too much time has passed. That concept I loved — this whole Odyssey-like adventure that ends so realistically. I didn’t however and the ending scene I’m still trying to fully wrap my mind around. Didn’t love the alien intervention. Overall it’s pretty good, glad I saw it, would watch again, loved the idea, but would’ve liked the ending I came up with better; just felt like the film was going in the direction of doomed humanity but then didn’t at the last minute.
Over this past weekend, I also saw Groundhog Day (1993) starring BIll Murray, in honor of our favorite little rodent weather-predictor-slash-oracle. This one — this one I loved. This is a great film. Love the dark humor, love the romance, love the concept — I can see what makes this one so popular. Groundhog Day has everything going for it; Bill Murray’s dry sense of humor, existentialist themes about life and its meaning, a cute romance about a man trying to impress his love interest and getting it right after so many tries. It reminded me a lot of Stranger Than Fiction (2006), one of my all-time favorite films and also a very existentialist plot. What would you do to find meaning in your life and truly live once you’ve accepted your ultimate fate?
Right after I finished this one I Googled how long the entire time loop lasts, which apparently seems to be about 10 years. Could get a lot done in 10 years for sure. Highly recommend this one and I’d love to see it again for sure. I like it for different reasons than Interstellar, but I’m glad I can finally say I’ve seen both of these. Time to work on the rest of the list.
