{"id":138250,"date":"2018-08-01T05:58:22","date_gmt":"2018-08-01T09:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=138250"},"modified":"2025-09-23T11:31:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T15:31:37","slug":"july-2018-viewing-diary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=138250","title":{"rendered":"July 2018 Viewing Diary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 5 “Monster Movie” (2008; d. Robert Singer)
\nA movie-mad feast. Plus, my favorite one-night-stand-girl. (Piper is a close tie.) <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 6 “Yellow Fever” (2008; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nAn example of what the show does best, when everyone is operating at the highest levels: it’s hilarious, the conception is great and filled with possibilities (all explored), it gives both lead actors a lot to chew on … AND it manages to STILL operate at a depth-ful level, with a truly upsetting final exchange. My only criticism is in the cross-cut editing of the “Ka-Boom” sequence. It’s pushed a little bit. But other than that, perfect. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 7 “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester” (2008; d. Charles Beeson)
\nMember when Sam and Dean were hesitant to kill witches? <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 8 “Wishful Thinking” (2008; d. Robert Singer)
\nAn all-time favorite. It never gets old. So hilarious and yet with that deep Season 4 undercurrent of Dean’s trauma and his growing inability to hide it. Such great stuff. Plus …<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 9 “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2008; d. Charles Beeson)
\nMaybe the butch-est this show has ever been.<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 10 “Heaven and Hell” (2008; d. J. Miller Tobin)
\nI love Anna. This is not an easy role. Some of her dialogue … (“same bottom line”) … Oy. She does a phenomenal job. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 14 “Sex and Violence” (2009; d. Charles Beeson)
\nThis is some seriously deep fucked-up shit and I love it so much. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 15 “Death Takes a Holiday” (2009; d. Steve Boyum)
\nOh, Pamela, NO. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 16 “On the Head of a Pin” (2009; d. Mike Rohl)
\nNo matter how many times I’ve seen it, this episode fills me with dread. And yet I am able to maintain enough distance to be blown away – again and again – by the trust these two actors have in one another in order to create what they created. It’s one of the most intimate scenes in the show’s entire history.<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 17 “It’s a Terrible Life” (2009; d. James L. Conway)
\n“You should see my decolletage.” “Ew. No thank you.” LOL. <\/p>\n

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Gauguin: Voyage de Tahiti<\/em><\/strong> (2018; d. Edouard Deluc)
\nThe girl he “married” in Tahiti was 13 years old. Making her older is super sketchy. Did you think we wouldn’t notice? My review at Ebert<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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A Very English Scandal<\/em><\/strong> Episode 1 (2018; d. Stephen Frears)
\nHugh Grant is killing it this year (although he’s always killed it. But he’s really moving into a super interesting phase in his career, now that he’s older.) I’ve only watched the first episode but it’s really good and he’s doing some extremely specific character work which isn’t just skin-deep. He’s so good. <\/p>\n

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The Staircase<\/em><\/strong>, episodes 1 and 2 (2004; d. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade)
\nI’ve seen this before, recently re-watched with a friend of mine. It unfolds slowly, different layers and aspects revealed as we go. There’s something “off” about this guy. Doesn’t mean he murdered his wife (although I think he did) … but he’s a fascinating guy to watch.<\/p>\n

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Written on the Wind<\/em><\/strong> (1956; d. Douglas Sirk)
\nThe hottest of hothouse Freudian melodramas. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 18 “The Monster at the End of This Book” (2009; d. Mike Rohl)
\nI’m not the biggest Castiel fan in the world but every time I watch this episode I am thrilled by Castiel’s moment of break-away, when he aligns himself with Dean, filled with fear, but also adrenaline, because he knows what he is doing is right. It’s major.<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 19 “Jump the Shark” (2009; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nDean is so REVVED UP this episode, barely in control, dealing with so much trauma he’s spinning out into space. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 20 “The Rapture” (2009; d. Charles Beeson)
\nThis is a very painful episode. Misha Collins kills it. When he can’t pray at the dinner table? I can’t take it.<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 21 “When the Levee Breaks” (2009; d. Robert Singer)
\nSo good! I love how Mary shows up and VALIDATES Sam. Such an interesting and complex choice. I have to ignore what has been done to Mary since her return to enjoy these former appearances. <\/p>\n

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Eighth Grade<\/em><\/strong> (2018; d. Bo Burnham)
\nThis is SUCH a good movie. Please see it. My review at Ebert<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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The Tarnished Angels<\/em><\/strong> (1957; d. Douglas Sirk)
\nA terrific film. Same cast basically as Written on the Wind<\/i> (sans Lauren Bacall). Rock Hudson, Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone. <\/p>\n

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Tip on a Dead Jockey<\/em><\/strong> (1957; d. Richard Thorpe)
\nA good, if all-over-the-place movie, about a former pilot suffering from PTSD, estranged from his wife, who gets embroiled in a criminal racket in Madrid, because of course.<\/p>\n

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The Fast and the Furious<\/em><\/strong> (1955; d. John Ireland)
\nProduced by Roger Corman. Probably shot over a long weekend. It’s a lot of fun. Lots of cool race cars too. All of these Dorothy Malone movies were re-watches in preparation for my most recent essay on Film Comment<\/i><\/a>, where I paid tribute to her spiky complex persona. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 4, episode 22 “Lucifer Rising” (2009; d. Eric Kripke)
\nAnother truly thrilling Castiel moment. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 1 “Sympathy for the Devil” (2009; d. Robert Singer)
\nContinuing into the next season on very strong legs. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 2 “Good God, Y’All” (2009; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nSo good to see Ellen and Jo and Rufus again AND so good to live in the world of super competence, which they all show. They’re at odds, due to the effect of War (I love the 4 Horsemen SO. MUCH.) … but everyone is working at a high level, thinking, reacting, acting. And this location … they must have flagged this early on as a perfect spot, waiting for the right time to use it. Stunning. They’re DWARFED by their surroundings, a perfect spot for a “break up.” (This is what recent seasons have not had: some kind of ongoing conflict BETWEEN the brothers. It’s such a rich subject.)<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 3 “Free to Be You and Me” (2009; d. J. Miller Tobin)
\nI do like the Castiel-Dean dynamic – Castiel brings out funny things in Dean. I don’t like the “Bert and Ernie are gay” line. I could probably write an essay about why, but I’ll just leave it at that. I like the connective fabric between Cas\/Dean and Sam\/whats-her-name at the bar. It’s Dean and Sam trying to “date” other people after their break-up. These subtexts are fantastic and bizarre. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 8 “Changing Channels” (2009; d. Charles Beeson)
\nAn all-time favorite. It always works for me. I mean, even the closeup on that poor girl’s camel toe … I could have lived without it, but still it’s like: GUYS, ARE YOU SERIOUS WITH THIS SHIT? And it’s FUNNY in a truly push-the-envelope way. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 9 “The Real Ghostbusters” (2009; d. James L. Conway)
\nI love the alternate Sam-and-Dean so much. They bring real heart to what could be jokey condescending roles. Both of them are terrific. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 12 “Swap Meat” (2010; d. Robert Singer)
\nThere’s something off here and it took me a while to figure out what it was: I wish they had gone true Big<\/i> with this, and had Jared actually play the 15-year-old virgin inside him. And then had the kid play a kid with a huge adult man trapped inside HIM. Seeing Dean interact with the kid, and having to suspend our disbelief that Dean is actually seeing his brother … is funny … but not AS funny as seeing Jared Padalecki actually play a 15-year-old kid, like he does in the teaser. The moment we get to see Jared in the mirror, flexing his muscles, is a case in point: it’s so FUNNY seeing Jared admire himself, pretending to be a teenager. MORE, PLEASE. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 13 “The Song Remains the Same” (2010; d. Steve Boyum)
\nAgain, I have to ignore the travesty of what they’ve done to Mary in order to get the impact of these earlier episodes. She is so so good. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 14 “My Bloody Valentine” (2010; d. Mike Rohl)
\nFunny all around. And a shout out to those two actors who have to devour one another in the teaser. That CANNOT have been easy. You don’t know anyone, you don’t know each other, you come on set, and you have to play that scene. Hats off. Also: the concept of “Famine” here is so so brilliant. What an opportunity to explore what it is every character WANTS. It’s not literal. You get so much more of a payoff when you’re not literal. <\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 5, episode 16 “Dark Side of the Moon” (2010; d. Jeff Woolnough)
\nJared’s face when he says this line makes me laugh every time.<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 11, episode 8 “Just My Imagination” (2015; d. Richard Speight Jr.)
\nThis could have been so dumb. That it’s not is a huge tribute to Speight. It’s hilarious, it’s touching, and it somehow manages to make all these “imaginary friends” – played by adults – not creepy at all. But sweet. PERFECT casting of ALL of them. Nate Torrence is quite brilliant. And Anja Savcic! My God, she’s good: she makes me cry every time. “I’m just still SO. MAD.” (sob)<\/p>\n

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\nSupernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 11, episode 11 “Into the Mystic” (2016; d. John Badham)
\nVery painful to watch. I’m pissed.<\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 11, episode 12 “Don’t You Forget About Me” (2016; d. Stefan Pleszczynski)
\nHahahaha. This “family dinner” is high comedy. I have to watch it repeatedly so I can track each character, there’s so much going on. This episode is marred by one of the longest “here’s why I done what I done” monologue by a monster, but there’s lots here that’s great. I was not a “Wayward Sisters” person (I’m sorry!!) and I hope it doesn’t impact Jodie’s casual entry into the action, as well as Claire and Donna. Hopefully the next time we see Claire, she’s not as caked with makeup as she was in “Wayward Sisters.” I guess … that’s the look now for young women? Nice, Supernatural<\/i>, nice. Applying pounds of foundation to fight monsters. Yup. I look back on Jo, yearningly. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural<\/em><\/strong>, Season 9, episode 13 “The Purge” (2014; d. Philip Sgriccia)
\nThis whole Dean-Sam arc is one of my favorites in the whole series (they really draw it out, they let it be unresolved, oh my God I’m in heaven with unresolved issues), and the final shot of Dean in this episode is one of my favorite closeups of him. He is so lost. What’s so great about Ackles is he tracks the low-level depression Dean is managing at all times. His voice even changes. His “light” is under a bushel. His eyes are flattened out. Ackles is so good.<\/p>\n

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Morocco<\/em><\/strong> (1930; d. Josef von Sternberg)
\nI have been having fun with the new Criterion box-set of the movies Marlene Dietrich and Josef von Sternberg made in Hollywood. First up? Morocco<\/i>. With that incredible final shot. 1930!! And, of course, Marlene in a tux kissing a woman on the lips. <\/p>\n

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Semi-Tough<\/em><\/strong> (1977; d. Michael Ritchie)
\nThis movie would not get made today. Not because it’s offensive, or anything like that. But because this mid-level type movie, not really “about” anything, not swinging for the fences, just a light entertainment starring big honking movie stars, just aren’t financed anymore, and we are all the poorer for it. I love this movie, and yeah, there are some moments that wouldn’t fly today but whatevs, it was 1977. So here we have three gigantic stars – Jill Clayburgh, Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson – in a movie that appears to be about professional football but really isn’t at all: it’s one long spoof on self-help culture like Est and Rolfing and all the rest. It’s funny, it’s charming, Clayburgh and Reynolds are great together, what’s not to like? <\/p>\n

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Dishonored<\/em><\/strong> (1931; d. Josef von Sternberg)
\nSo good. She’s difficult to talk about. You really just have to experience her. What she is doing is not what other people do. It’s … her own thing. Or von Sternberg’s thing, as performed by his perfect muse. Whatever it is, you can’t look away. <\/p>\n

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Paddington 2<\/em><\/strong> (2018; dir. Paul King)
\nAs of now, along with First Reformed<\/i> and You Were Never Really Here<\/i>, this is in my Top 10. <\/p>\n

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The Greatest Showman<\/em><\/strong> (2017; d. Michael Gracey)
\nWatched this with my nieces and nephews. Pearl knows all the lyrics. They all do. I was one of the only critics who loved this damn thing (my review here<\/a>) and it holds up. It’s not meant to be a dark expose about exploitation. It’s meant to be a feel-good story about a makeshift family of people rejected by society. And it succeeds. Plus: they cast two leads – Jackman and Efron – who can actually dance. No La La Land<\/i> grading-on-a-curve necessary.<\/p>\n

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Cocote<\/em><\/strong> (2018; d. Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias)
\nMy review will go up this week. <\/p>\n

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Shutter Island<\/em><\/strong> (2015; d. Martin Scorsese)
\nI haven’t seen this since it came out. It is currently streaming on Amazon. Leo is so so so SO good. At this rate, he may become one of the most underrated of all time. Yes, he’s a huge movie star. But he’s also taken for granted, and his ability to suspend disbelief is unparalleled. Watch him in this. And remember they filmed out of sequence. When you remember that and when you watch his gradual deterioration over the film … bow down in awe at his gift.<\/p>\n

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Shampoo<\/em><\/strong> (1975; d. Hal Ashby)
\nThis is such a good film. Like Semi-Tough<\/i>, it wouldn’t be made today. It’s a sex farce, sparked with political despair. So 1975 you can feel the malaise licking at everyone’s heels. And yet it’s still beautifully funny. Everyone gets to be human. Pauline Kael described the Warren Beatty character as having a “pagan purity” and that’s just right. Criterion is releasing this and I am so excited. <\/p>\n

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\nPrivate Life<\/em><\/strong> (2018; d. Tamara Jenkins)
\nReview to come eventually. <\/p>\n

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Supernatural, Season 4, episode 5 “Monster Movie” (2008; d. Robert Singer) A movie-mad feast. Plus, my favorite one-night-stand-girl. (Piper is a close tie.) Supernatural, Season 4, episode 6 “Yellow Fever” (2008; d. Philip Sgriccia) An example of what the show … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2627,4,31],"tags":[2157,2493,2508,2688,2208,118,1151,1181,2757,2262,2538,438,402,435,2263,1277,2637],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138250"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=138250"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":158425,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138250\/revisions\/158425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=138250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=138250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=138250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}