The Month in Film: July 2012
Here’s the new Month in Review banner! I should give credit where credit is due because I loved the Month in Review banner over at In the Mood (a feature I hope is kept…just saying). With that, Ms. Veronica Lake will be presiding over my month in film form now on. As for July, I really didn’t want to do this month in review because with the end of July brings the end of summer. August has me returning to school so my film viewings will drop as we near the end of the month. Compared to last month I did watch fewer films (30 down from 37 last month) although that was due to seeing only three theatrical releases. On the bright side I continued to watch more first time films as opposed to rewatches. Let’s see how July looked for films. As always clickable links will take you to my original reviews of these films.
2. Ted
3. Marathon Man
5. Logan’s Run
6. Savages
7. Match Point*
8. Kick Ass*
9. The Way of the Gun
10. The Player
13. Titanic*
15. Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin, and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood
16. Night Nurse
17. The Divorcee
19. An American in Paris (Review live 8/23)
20. Irving Thalberg: Prince of Hollywood
21. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey*
22. I Want to Live!
23. A Free Soul
24. Point Break*
25. Species
26. White Hot: The Murder of Thelma Todd
27. Captain Blood
28. Mrs. Miniver (Review live 8/4)
29. The Debt
30. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back*
TOTALS:
30 films watched in July (down seven from June)
6 were rewatches
24 were first-time viewings
3 were theatrical releases
2 were reviews for films in my TCM Top Twelve (both were in May’s Top 12)
Top 5 Favorite Classic Films of the Month:
1. Marathon Man – An amazing blend of drama with horror. Stellar performances and made me afraid of the dentist.
2. Night Nurse – Still the favorite in my Forbidden Hollywood series of reviews increasing my interest in Barbara Stanwyck and cementing my love of…Pre-Code Clark Gable!
3. Written on the Wind – My first Douglas Sirk film and what an experience. Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone were highlights.
4. Born on the Fourth of July – Oliver Stone at his finest; an awesome way to celebrate Fourth of July.
5. Captain Blood – Hello Errol Flynn. This swashbuckling epic is fun on the high seas.
Favorite Theatrical Film of the Month: The theatrical slate I saw was nothing short of disappointing and surprising (mainly I was surprised I was disappointed). Ironically, the film I ended up loving was one I didn’t want to see and that was Ted. The story of a man-child and his teddy bear gave me all the heart and humor I needed all directed by the guy who made Family Guy (a show I loathe).
Worst Film of the Month: That’s pretty easy, I’d be Savages, a film I was dying to see! It was fantastic until the soul-crushing end which ruined any and all goodwill I’d built up for it. I’d probably watch it again with lowered expectations and the knowledge that I need to turn it off after the first ending.
Biggest Disappointment of the Month: That’s another easy one: The Dark Knight Rises. My review goes fairly in-depth into the problems and while I still gave it an A, over time I’ve grown disappointed and saddened that it didn’t pack the wallop I’d been waiting for all summer.
Biggest Surprise of the Month: It’d probably be The Debt. I had no interest in watching this on DVD or in theaters but while I was feeling sick this weekend I watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s in the vein of Marathon Man without the horror and has some fantastic acting turns from Jessica Chastain.
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Kristen Lopez View All
A freelance film critic whose work fuels the Rotten Tomatoes meter. I've been published on The Hollywood Reporter, Remezcla, and The Daily Beast. I've been featured in the L.A. Times. I currently run two podcasts, Citizen Dame and Ticklish Business.
Ticklish Business 
Wow, 30 movies in a month, that’s more than half of what I saw, good for you! An eclectic list, too. I really want to see Written on the Wind now, don’t kill me but I haven’t seen anything by Rock Hudson.
Hey I’m with you about ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ I gave it a 4/5 though I had been wishing it was more of a 5/5 given how much I loved the previous 2. But yeah, too many plot holes for me to be satisfying as a whole. Glad you enjoyed The Debt, I saw that on opening weekend at the cinema and loved it.
Haha, this list will plummet once school starts. Don’t worry, this was my first Rock Hudson movie so I’m waiting for someone to knock on my door to take my classic film card. As for The Debt I’ll watch Jessica Chastain read the phone book. I love her!