Dagmar Versus 1001 Movies: February 2015

Introduction

1001 movies you must see before you die. Must I? Let's see.

My name is Dagmar and I am from Czech Republic. I have a bachelor's degree in screenwriting. I study movies. I watch movies. I write about movies. I kind of mention movies a lot. I even cross stitch things I like in movies. My views on cinema could be described as peculiar. My views on the "1001 movies" list as complicated. It happens a lot that I get the feeling it wasn't that necessary to see some particular movies. Sometimes I'm really grateful I saw them. And there are also times when I don't watch any new movies for six months straight. And they keep adding new movies every damn year so I might have to never die to watch them all.

What's the score right now?

606/1245 - That's 639 left to see.

I started this experiment on July 3rd 2009 and the latest update was made on April 19th 2023.

You can find the full list here.

Friday, 13 February 2015

Jaws (1975)

USA
directed by: Steven Spielberg
written by: Peter Benchley (+ book), Carl Gottlieb
starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
commented on 13th February, 2015

-"That's some bad hat, Harry."

First this quote. Then the squeaking of nails on a chalkboard. Then a giant murder shark. Then the shape of the nose of Roy Scheider. Then USS Indianapolis. Then the irrationaly likable Dreyfuss. Jaws are my new nominee for the most random film ever.

Saturday, 7 February 2015

The Shop on Main Street (1965)

Obchod na korze
Czechoslovakia
directed by: Ján Kadár, Elmar Klos
written by: Ladislav Grosman, Ján Kadár, Elmar Klos + Ladislav Grosman (book)
starring: Ida Kamińska, Jozef Kroner, František Zvarík, Hana Slivková
commented on 7th February, 2015

I watched the film for the first time many, many years ago and it left its mark on me alright - probably every script or story I wrote after that includes a dream sequence and I now I even omit the sleeping part, why should not the character be awake for such stuff to happen. A dream-like storytelling is such a simple way to make every mundane thing a poetry, to present reality in a different way without really changing its merit. The Shop on Main Street changes into poetry, but also into theather, and oh my! Such a strong dramatic story to touch your heart and then tear it into pieces.

-"I... I can't understand it. You are a wise man, Mr. Katz, how did this happen all of a sudden?" -"I am not wise. And it did not happen suddenly."