What to Watch During Your COVID-19 Self-Isolation
The Anderson Tapes (Sidney Lumet, 1967)
There is no shortage of reasons that we are living in a less than ideal time. For cinephiles, being unable to celebrate the weekend by going out to the cinema is particularly tough. To remedy your cabin fever, our staff and board have assembled some wonderful recommendations to enjoy from the comfort of your own home during your self isolation.
Jason Wierzba, Programming Chair -The Deadly Affair (1967) and The Anderson Tapes (1971)
The Deadly Affair (Sidney Lumet, 1971)
Already more or less the Emily Dickinson type, it is not necessarily going to be overly taxing for me to acquiesce to the strictures of quarantine, this of course aided to no small extent by my subscriptions to five distinct streaming platforms. My recent viewing has been—to a perhaps atypical extent—roving and associative. I am taking especial interest at the moment in American films of the 1960s; the Criterion Channel has been of late a boon in this regard. I have been delighted in the extreme by two Sidney Lumet films, 1967’s The Deadly Affair and 1971's The Anderson Tapes, neither of which get discussed much, not having either of 'em ever really been available in anything like serviceable transfers for the appraisal of your everyday home viewer—their perhaps constituting also what one might designate films maudit. My suspicion is that anyone with a partiality to the nuances of set-dressing will be right there with me!
Both films are available with a Criterion Channel subscription. You can also rent The Deadly Affair and The Anderson Tapes on Google Play.
Dale Turri, Secretary -My Brilliant Friend (2018-present)
My Brilliant Friend (Saverio Costanzo, 2018-present)
Based on Elena Ferrante's four-part Neopolitan Series, this Italian coming-of-age story recounts the powerful, lifelong friendship between Lenù and Lila, two young women growing up in Naples. The show's second season premiered just last week, so there's no better time to catch up on this remarkable tale of female friendship.
You can watch My Brilliant Friend with a subscription to Crave, which is currently offering a free 30-day trial to Canadians.
Mahfam Ghods, Board Member - Bunny Lake is Missing (1965)
Bunny Lake is Missing (1965, Otto Preminger)
Ann Lake (Carol Lynley) has recently moved with her four year old daughter Bunny, from US to London to live with her brother Steven (Keir Dullea). On the first day of school, when Ann goes to pick up her daughter, Bunny has disappeared from school and no one has a record of seeing her. Unable to find a trace of Bunny, the police and begin to wonder if she ever existed or is just a fantasy created by Ann. Otto Preminger's British psychological thriller is a brilliant return to his film noir style started in the 1940s.
Bunny Lake is Missing is available to rent on Google Play.
Zach Green, Communications Coordinator - The Leftovers (2014-2017)
The Leftovers (Damon Lindelof, 2014-2017)
At a point of international anxiety and uncertainty, those of of you craving even more existential dread won't want to sleep on HBO's excellent The Leftovers. One of best and most underappreciated shows of the last decade, this magical realist drama follows an ensemble cast of disaffected Americans adapting to a world in crisis after 2% of the population suddenly disappears. Damon Lindelof reclaimed his honour after disappointing many fans with his Lost finale by crafting a story that embraces the frustration of unsolved mysteries, meditating upon its characters desperate attempts to assign meaning to inscrutable circumstances. Though the first season was warmly received by most critics, the series evolved into something truly remarkable in its second and third seasons. Many of the series' beautifully crafted "bottle episodes" stand on their own as excellent short films, inspiring mesmerizing performances from its impeccable cast, which includes Carrie Coon, Justin Theroux, and Liv Tyler.
The Leftovers is also available with a subscribtion to Crave.