How Had I Never - 2023

For someone who loves movies as much as I do, there are a lot of well-known films – including way too many stone-cold classics – that I’ve never seen. There are a few reasons for these gaps, the main one being that I'm very bad about watching movies at home; I strongly prefer to see them in theaters. A corollary reason is that I invariably prioritize the hot new release that’s just hit theaters rather than the classic I’ve been meaning to watch for years. Nevertheless, I do try periodically – if sporadically – to play catch-up through home viewing.

This year’s “how had I never seen” list was shaped largely by two phenomena: (1) the end of Netflix’s DVD program (RIP), which resulted in a cascade of long-deferred DVDs from my queue; (2) my participation in online guess-the-movie games Framed and AFI’s Get the Picture, which regularly surfaced films I knew I should have seen but had not. The result is an odd mix of classic noir, French New Wave, Mel Brooks, silent films, and animated films. All were worth watching, though the three that really exceeded my expectations, as noted below, were Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro, Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr, and Agnès Varda’s Cléo from 5 to 7.

**My Neighbor Totoro (1988) – Now my favorite Miyazaki. What I found most striking is how gentle it is, in the best possible way. It never makes light of the fears or fancies of childhood, but spins them into exhilarating and ultimately reassuring fantasy.

Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) – My introduction to Alain Resnais. Frankly I found it a little hard to gin up sympathy for a woman whose great lost love was a Nazi and the new lover we never really get to know, but the two actors sell it, especially the great Emmanuelle Riva.

Laura (1944) – Was expecting something more like Rebecca; glad I did not know in advance about the main plot twist. Clifton Webb gives All About Eve's George Saunders a run for his money as the controlling, gay-coded web-weaver.

Close-Up (1990) – One of Abbas Kiarostami’s earliest and perhaps best-known “docufiction” films; plays like a straight-up documentary until you look closer. Thought-provoking.

Blazing Saddles (1974) – Some belly laughs for sure, but as always with Mel Brooks, I found the jokes hit-or-miss and the plot felt like an afterthought. I did, however, enjoy the literal breaking of the fourth wall. Also, unpopular opinion: I really don’t get Madeline Kahn or why people find her funny.

Rififi (1955) – Darker and more brutal than I was expecting for a 1950s heist film. But damn riveting, right up to the climactic mad drive and final shot.

Double Indemnity (1944) – Billy Wilder + Raymond Chandler + Barbara Stanwyck + Fred MacMurray (playing deliciously against type) + Edward G. Robinson (who very nearly steals the show) = seedy noir perfection.

Lilo & Stitch (2002) – Weirder than I was expecting, in a good way. Also not expecting the film would make me cry like a fool. Disney should make more movies like this.

Frankenstein (1931) – Weird tonal shifts in some of the village merriment scenes, but what you remember is the iconic scenes, which have lost none of their power even after almost a century.

Bride of Frankenstein (1934) – Slightly preferred to the original; it’s campier in some ways, but overall more tonally consistent, and the plight of the Monster cuts sharper and deeper.

Young Frankenstein (1974) – OK, I think this is the best Mel Brooks I’ve seen, though maybe that’s because it’s a pretty straight-up parody of both Frankenstein and Bride?

**Sherlock Jr. (1924) – What a delight! Meta before meta was really a “thing” in movies. The movie within the movie is sheer brilliance.

The Double Life of Véronique (1991) – Gorgeous, and not only because of Irène Jacob (although I don’t think anyone can watch this and not fall in love with her). The final reveal of the literal puppet master is a bit creepy, though.

A Fish Called Wanda (1988) – A fun caper, but as someone who grew up with a Yorkshire terrier, I found one of its running gags slightly traumatizing.

**Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962) – Oh, this was so great! My first Agnès Varda, and by far my favorite nouvelle vague film. Feels like it could have been filmed today.

Last Year at Marienbad (1961) – This film practically parodies itself as an overly rococo example of the Resnais brand of nouvelle vague. It is, nonetheless, haunting.

Modern Times (1936) – A classic for a reason; the social themes still bite today.

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) – The spiritual sequel to My Neighbor Totoro, with the same gentle sensibility if a touch less whimsy. This is appropriate, given that it’s about the transition to adolescence/ young adulthood.