by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief and Old Sport

Much like the ocean, the amount of cinematic options is vast.

As I write this my eyeballs have managed to consume five hundred and thirteen motion pictures. Thanks to the handy dandy stats feature on letterboxd I am able to confirm that of those five hundred and thirteen, four hundred and thirty one were pictures made prior to 2022. Without a doubt the mediocre watches outnumbered those that are worth speaking about. Not every flick can be a treasure as the journey to an exceptional film is treacherous.

Cinematic fiends! Below is a list of nine (I do not like even numbers) films that your favorite old sport uncovered this year. With the word “discover” giving connotations of the infamous racist, abusive, nefarious explorer Christopher Columbus, I prefer to say uncover. Plus saying uncover makes me think of graveyards, and welllll… I find that to be comforting.

What Happened Was… (dir. Tom Noonan, 1994)

A film written, directed, edited (in this situation, I am OK with this choice) and stars Tom Noonan. If that does not give you enough incentive to watch this flick, I reallllly do not know what to tell you.

There are few actors that I actively seek out and Noonan is one of them. This film is thought provoking, unsettling and what Noonan manages to do with a single space is incredible. Two socially challenged coworkers decide to meet for dinner after work and anxiety ensues. I watched this movie in January and it has stuck with me since in particular this line: “I’m so far behind and I am never gonna catch up… I just them to tell me what to do.”. Is someone spying on my inner thoughts? Tom Noonan is one of the most interesting actors to grace the silver screen.

Find where to watch What Happened Was… here.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (dir. Robert Fuest, 1971)

I believe this specific film was especially made for me.

Let me count the ways for which I am in love with this film… Murder by revenge. A lazy susan of wax sculptures representing each of the victims that have a sole purpose of being meltedddddd after that specific person is murdered. Dollz. Masks! Astounding costume design. Bats taking naps with their victim. Speaking of bats, the production design is absolutely batshit. A violinist performing mood music as Dr. Phibes murders. Elaborate plans and schemes that all end with someone’s ultimate demise.

This is what I call a PICTURE old sport: Vincent Price and Joseph Cotten share the screen together. The plot could be completely nonsensical, and I don’t give a damn, because what I witnessed was absolute and pure magic.

Purchase a crisp! Blu-Ray copy of The Abominable Dr. Phibes, from Kino Lorber here.

Next Time We Love (dir. Edward H. Griffith, 1936)

When it comes to dead guys I think James Stewart and Ray Milland are tops. They were the main reason I wanted to check out this 1936 film. Little did I know that when I hit play on Next Time We Love that Margaret Sullivan was going to give them a run for their money and race away with my heart.

This flick ripped my ticker out and stomped on it. A young couple finds their relationship strained after they make the difficult decision to pursue their dreams at all cost. Despite the heartache this caused there’s no doubt that I will allow it to happen again when I give this motion picture a re-watch sometime down the road.

Purchase a crisp! blu-ray copy of Next Time We Love, from Kino Lorber here.

Dracula and Son (dir. Édouard Molinaro, 1976)

I’ll be honest… initially I was extremely hesitant about Christopher Lee as the ultimate undead guy. Bela Lugosi will and forever be the bee knees in terms of Dracula. However, I have come to learn there is plenty of room for everyone in the bunk. After watching Dracula and Son, I am convinced Lee is worthy of the cape and fangs.

This flick is so damn silly and I adored every moment of it so very much. This is the ultimate Father & Son Movie™. The son is so ridiculous and over the top, but it works so well with Christopher Lee’s deadpan delivery. I sincerely wish my father and I could have experienced the joy of shopping for coffins together. I’d like to believe that like Lee, my father would spare no expense in terms of purchasing me the most comfortable velvet lined bunk.

Available to rent here or purchase The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 2 from Severin here.

Get to Know Your Rabbit (dir. Brian de Palma, 1972)

This zany film from Brian de Palma is not perfect but sure did stick with me.

It might be due to turning 39 years of age and my brain telling me its now or never, but 2022 really has turned out to be the year of contemplation for the old sport. This movie struck a lot of personal chords as it tells the story of a guy that leaves his silly, stuffy, nonsensical corporate job to pursue a life more serious, freeing and sensible as a tap dancing magician. Trained by the illustrious Orson Welles he sets out to achieve his dreams and escape the rat race. This is just one of several films I watched this year that I am taking as a sign to take the plunge.

Available to rent here or purchase Get to Know Your Rabbit here.

The Razor’s Edge (dir. Edmund Goulding 1946)

Much like I said above about Get to Know Your Rabbit, this is another film that I happened to watch at the right time in my life. Gene Tierney was such a powerful actor and so incredibly gifted at making you despise a charcter. Tyrone Power was also quite the talent and I love to see him in a role such as this, that truly showcased his ability as an actor, much like in Nightmare Alley. I wrote a full review earlier this year about The Razor’s Edge for MovieJawn, which can be found here.

Purchase The Razor’s Edge from Signal One here.

Elvis: The ‘68 Comeback Special (dir. Steve Binder, 1968)

I am forever changed after watching this concert special.

I was introduced to Elvis Presley via road trippin’ with my grandfather. Presley’s tunes were on constant rotation and there were definitely times when I believed the myth to be true: Elvis was not dead. He couldn’t quite possibly be a corpse, as he was sitting right next to me in the car. My grandfather was Elvis. After my pop pop passed away, I had a hard time listening to Elvis albums without breaking down. That all changed this summer.

After seeing Baz Luhrmann’s epic motion picture Elvis earlier this summer, I fell back in love with Memphis rock n’ roller. After seeing the flick, I immediately tracked down the Comeback Special on eBay. The performance is absolutely perfect. Don’t even tell me differently because frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.

Oh! and just one more thing… it should be noted that my Elvis watch fest didn’t stop with the Comeback Special, I started watching his other flicks too. Follow/Watch along with me via letterboxd by checking out my VIVA LAS VIDEOS watch list. I’ve been tracking each Elvii (that is plural for Elvis) watch and even created a handy dandy banana rating system. Also I sorta kinda am now no longer Rosalie, but instead am Draculelvis. This an interesting story and you can learn more on my movie pod, Cinematic Crypt here.

Find where to watch Elvis: The ‘68 Comeback Special here.

Cocktail Hour (dir. Victor Schertzinger, 1933)

This year I was fortunate enough to attend the TCM Classic Film Festival (TCMFF) with one of my favorite film pals, Liz Locke of CinemaSips. She wrote up a wonderful dispatch of the experience here on her cocktail and film blog.

Cocktail Hour was a pre-code film that we saw together. If there was anything I learned from my adventure to the TCMFF was that one better arrive early if they want to catch a pre-code flick. These pictures are extremely revered by the classic film community, and rightfully so as they are a time when motion pictures were truly uncensored. In Cocktail Hour, one witnesses Cynthia Warren (Bebe Daniels) rebel against the social norms when she decides she has every right as a man to play the field. Bebe Daniels was a powerhouse and is definitely someone I would like to spend some more time with.

The Group (dir. Sidney Lumet, 1966)

This was another favorite I caught at the TCM film fest and found it to be absolutely fantastic. It left me pondering how this gem is not being discussed regularly?

Directed by Sidney Lumet, it opens in 1933 with eight women who are graduating from an elite private school and about to start their lives. Through the course of the 152 minute runtime the viewer is taken in and out of their lives showing the highs and loves of relationships, societal issues and their careers. This would pair wonderfully with Women Talking and I highly recommend seeking this one out.

The Group is available to watch here.