Nightcap 12/22/13- Almost years end so almost a wrap up

2013 is done, more or less. All that’s left is to look back and take stock and plot and plan for 2014.

As I write this I’m working out my end of year lists. They’ll start appearing next Sunday night with a look back at the year in Festivals. Mostly that’s just to flog my favorites, mention one potential new favorite and talk about a head scratcher or two. I’m also working on the Best and Worst lists as well. Mercifully the worst of the year list is rather short. While there were lots of films I didn’t like most were not so loathsome that I’ve remembered them here at years end.

Now about that Best of the year list- I’m still fighting with myself over what’s going on it and the secondary Finds list but two things are clear. First it only has one, maybe two “big” films on it. In other words unless you've been reading Unseen or going to festivals you may not know most of the films. Part of the reason for this is I still haven’t seen things like Her, 12 Years a Slave or some of the other big films. The main reason for this is in my humble opinion most of the films just weren’t The Best. Many were good, some were great, but as for being the best, no. The other thing you’ll see is that there are a lot of short films. Yes five minute films Decelerators, The Day God Slept and Flutter mix with feature films. Why? Because they nail it. A best film is a best film. I’ve spent more time thinking about those films than I did about something like Pacific Rim or American Hustle (which is great- but not great enough).

Complicating some of the lists is the fact that I’m seeing films for the New York Jewish Film Festival which starts in just over two weeks (It starts on the 8th) and I’m running across some great films that you should rush out and see. I’m seeing them in 2013 for review in 2014- I'm not where do they go since I run my list by what I see in what year. This uncertainty cocked me up this year as several films I had included on my 2012 list ended up in my head as 2013 films-even though I put them on the 2012 list.

And speaking of the New York Jewish Film Festival, while it didn’t end up being talked about my piece on great film festivals for 2013, it will be on my 2014 list. Simply put in the last three years that I’ve been going it went to something where I went to a film here and there to something I’m wading into to see great stuff I would never have noticed otherwise. I’ll be posting a piece on the festival around the 5th. There’s some great great stuff here (Ain't Misbehavin and The Congress off the top of my head) and since many of the films sell out you’ll want to act now to get tickets. Details and tickets can be had here at the Film Linc website.

This week we begin winding down our month of Criterion with a week of Chaplin. My pieces are less reviews and more commentary. Hubert is due to chime in on boxing day with one of his favorite all time films City Lights.

Before I head off to continue wrapping Holiday gifts I want  to end this last Nightcap of 2013 and say thank you all for reading, and please stay tuned for lots of goodies in 2014

And now our last link round up of the year:

Overlooked Christmas Films

The Sight and Sound article on the Snowpiercer debacle and the war between the films director and the Weinsteins

A Cthulu holiday meal

Peter O'Toole stories

Info on BAM Kidsfest

The Next Bunch of free films from the Korean Cultural Service

Photos of a new crater on the moon

On Rube Goldberg