Blue Heron (2025) dir. Sophy Romvari
Mother Mary (2026) dir. David Lowery
Erupcja (2026) dir. Pete Ochs
and
Best of Sixties Spring
Phaedra (1962) dir. Jules Dassin
King and Country (1964) dir. Joseph Losey
The Great Race (1965) dir. Blake Edwards
How to Steal a Million (1966) dir. William Wyler
Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) dir. Richard Attenborough
Gambit (1966) dir. Ronald Neame
Very proud of my film programming for Sixties Spring, it had so many actor bridges and thematic double-features, still ran mostly-loosely chronologically, and also I got cosmically stuck in cinematic Paris. Full line-up below.
The last movie I watched in Vintage April was St. Louis Blues (1959), and then Sixties Spring began with Paris Blues (1961), obviously very pleasing. This was also the first half of my Sidney Poitier bookends for this series, stay tuned.
Then we moved to a pairing of two early-60s films in which Anthony Perkins seduces an older woman: Goodbye Again (1961) and Phaedra (1962). What I had not put together, due I suspect in part to forgetting Yves Montand was in this one and not the other 1961 entry I barely ended up holding for next year (La notte), was that much like Paris Blues, unsurprisingly, takes place in Paris, Goodbye Again does as well, AND also features Paris Blues star Diahann Carroll in one scene. This was kind of crazy. And while Phaedra primarily takes place in Greece (again unsurprisingly), there is a pivotal interlude in, that's right: Paris again.
No real connection to my following period piece moment, apologies, but next was Becket (1964), the only one of all of these I didn't really care for much. For the first time in this series so far, I was not taken to Paris, however Becket does go to France for a spell -- thin ice.
Next up in History: a 1960s do the First World War double feature of King and Country (1964) and Oh! What a Lovely War (1969). It had not at all crossed my mind that obviously these would both take place in, of course, France, as that's where the Western Front was, though emotionally (spiritually) (practically) they're just taking place in "trench." I had actually never even glanced at the cast of Oh! What a Lovely War after having seen several stills with not a single actor I recognized, so didn't think it was that kind of picture. WRONG, many one-scene-only names in this, including for one cameo, surprise Dirk Bogarde, star of King and Country, making this in reality a 1960s do the First World War and also Dirk Bogarde is there double feature.
I figured The Great Race (1965) was a good next entry because period musical black comedy into full-tilt period comedy follows. However I quickly learn that the destination of said Great Race is, ominous accordion chord, Paris, so we're back in the soup. I then follow The Great Race star Jack Lemmon into another comedy project, Irma la Douce (1963), which is nothing but non French actors pretending to be French in, god, Paris.....
Following Irma la Douce star Shirley MacLaine this time, into the 1966 art heists rom-comedies duo of Gambit (1966) and How to Steal a Million (also 1966). Gambit began in Hong Kong and then soon traveled to, ahem, "Dammuz," which was disconcerting as it indicated a possible globe hopping nature that would surely fucking include the City of Light, but we stayed put! Nine films in, I've finally escaped France! Ignore that young Michael Caine is speaking schoolboy French to the cab drivers! (I guess it's like an Algiers comp?) Next though was How to Steal a Million which is set where, well ENTIRELY PARIS. Once again no one in the cast is French. This trend is my best and only excuse for how this kept happening.
Because I KNOW what I'm doing this time when I start up The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), which IS actually French, at last, and while they talk about going there all the time, we never actually follow anyone to Paris proper. Incredible that I had to go to Real France to finally free myself from the gravitational pull of Fake Paris on this decade in film.
Because Sixties Spring then concluded with Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), completing the Sidney Poitier bookends on the series, and which is responsibly contained to sound stage San Francisco.
But hang on to the flower in your hair, because what's that coming next? It's a 24 hour gay lockdown for Pride Month -- of course we ended in SF!
the drama (2026) – really fun really well acted i was on the edge of my seat the whole time. i find it interesting to see movies that deal with current anxieties while being fresh and creative. a 2020s movie in all the ways.
jesus christ superstar (1973) – soooo 70s. the most 70s movie ever made. love the outfits i love the idea of jesus christ as a hippie cult leader slash rockstar. this is what i mean when i say a movie is of its time in the best way possible.
céline and julie go boating (1974) – me when i take powerful psychotropics and embrace silliness. when the only roles offered to women are victim, maid and seductress, you can take control of the narrative and change everything. by being whimsical 🕯️🗝️🍓🪞🌷🪄🍬💌
no other choice (2025) – way funnier than i expected for park chan wook. multiple moments where i was blown away by the directing choices. the incinerating light in the interview wowwww
erupcja (2025) – beautiful work in colors i was astounded. really simple but really poignant. made me want to move to poland. reminds me of nouvelle vague, specially the way it works the city and the locations.
tea and sympathy (1956) – so bleak and so sad. really shocking that they let this be made in 1956 simply by cutting out the word homosexual – and still referring to it in every way. the absence only indicates a presence. you gotta hand it to vincente minnelli
