Watching Things: August 2022
By Austin Johnson
August was a random fucking month for me as far as watching films goes. I bounced around to a bunch of different streaming services, just kind of tackling shit for the hell of it. There was one day towards the end of the month where I watched X-Men, Best in Show, Sexy Beast, Pitch Perfect, and Cinderella from 1997. I mean, what in the actual hell. Anyways, here’s the list of films I watched this past month.
*Persona, 1966 (Criterion Channel/HBO Max) - 9
*Anchors Aweigh, 1945 (HBO Max) - 4
Rounders, 1998 (PC/Showtime) - 10
Spellbound, 1945 (YouTube) - 7
*Brief Encounter, 1945 (Criterion Channel/HBO Max) - 9
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, 2019 (Vudu) - 10
*Bullet Train, 2022 (Alamo Drafthouse) - 5
The Thing, 1982 (Alamo Drafthouse) - 10
*NYC Point Gods, 2022 (Showtime) - 8
*The Greatest Mixtape Ever, 2022 (YouTube TV) - 8
The Bells of St. Mary’s, 1945 (Tubi) - 7
*Prey, 2022 (Hulu) - 8
*Lightyear, 2022 (Disney+) - 7
*Mildred Pierce, 1945 (Vudu) - 8
*The Lost Weekend, 1945 (Criterion Channel) - 9
*9 to 5, 1980 (HBO Max) - 8
*Heaven Can Wait, 1978 (Paramount+) - 7
*Bodies Bodies Bodies, 2022 (Regal Huebner Oaks) - 7
*Runaway Train, 1985 (HBO Max) - 9
*Being There, 1979 (HBO Max) - 8
*Coming Home, 1978 (Borrowed from Connor) - 9
*The Endless Summer, 1966 (Amazon Prime) - 8
*High Fidelity, 2000 (HBO Max) - 8
X-Men, 2000 (Disney+) - 8
*Best in Show, 2000 (HBO Max) - 8
*Sexy Beast, 2000 (Hulu) - 9
Pitch Perfect, 2012 (YouTube TV) - 6
Cinderella, 1997 (Disney+) - 7
The Third Man, 1949 (Criterion Channel) - 9
*The Black Phone, 2022 (Peacock) - 8
First Time Watches - 21
Rewatches - 9
30 total films watched for an average of 7.93
Streaming Service Counter:
Amazon Prime - 1
Borrowed from Connor - 1
Criterion Channel - 4
Disney+ - 3
HBO Max - 6
Hulu - 2
Paramount+ - 1
PC - 1
Peacock - 1
Showtime - 1
Theaters - 3
Tubi - 1
Vudu - 2
YouTube - 1
YouTube TV - 2
Top 5 August Watches
5. The Greatest Mixtape Ever
ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series has been a part of my life for 13 years now and I very rarely miss anything they put out. I recorded The Greatest Mixtape Ever in May when it initially aired and finally got around to it in August. It’s a pretty straightforward story about the impact that the AND1 Mixtapes had on basketball culture back in the early 2000’s. Directed by Chris Robinson and DJ Set Free, the documentary gave me a nice trip down nostalgia lane that I didn’t know I needed. It wasn’t the best thing I watched in August, but it hit me at the perfect time and reminded me of being a kid which is a fucking cool feeling.
4. Rounders
I have owned John Dahl's Rounders for a long time, but there was one night early in August where I was just flipping channels at like 1 am and I stumbled upon Showtime as the film was just about to start. I knew I had to dive in even though it’s one of the films I’ve rewatched most in my entire life. There’s something about Mike McD and Worm’s wild ride that I just can’t fucking get enough of. Rounders always delivers and it firmly sits right behind The Big Lebowski as my second favorite film from 1998.
3. Coming Home
One of the best feelings in the world is when Connor and I cover a film on Oscar Sunday that rocks both of us. Directed by Hal Ashby, Coming Home isn’t available anywhere to stream which is odd because I feel like it’s a film that should have some kind of cult following as it was one of the most profitable films from 1978. Connor was able to buy the DVD online and then let me borrow it for our podcast. I liked it so much that I think I’m going to buy my own copy for my shelf at home. Coming Home received eight Oscar nominations and won three (Best Screenplay, Best Actor to Jon Voight, and Best Actress to Jane Fonda). Christ almighty, those performances will stick with me forever just like the ending of the film will stick with me because the tears I shed were real as Tim Buckley’s "Once I Was" plays in the background while we watch the main characters meet their fate in unforgiving fashion.
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Every now and again, Connor and I choose a mutual favorite for Oscar Sunday and we did just that with Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Fuckin' hell, it’s such a gorgeous film that I see as one of the dude's finest works within a very rich filmography. I still remember going to the theater back in 2019 and feeling an event type atmosphere that we so rarely get from a writer/director these days. QT really has earned his spot as someone to sincerely look forward to because every single time, his work oozes with admiration and passion for the art of filmmaking.
1. The Thing
Early on in August, Connor invited me to go see John Carpenter’s masterpiece The Thing at the Alamo Drafthouse where we both used to work. We met there and immediately figured out that we both had an unhealthy obsession with films. That realization led to us starting a podcast together and to a really solid friendship. He was in my wedding in June and has become someone that I see as a brother. One of the first films we talked about when we met was The Thing and I admitted to him that I hadn’t seen it and he said I needed to change that. That same night, I did change that. I’ve seen it probably ten times within a five year span and now one of those times being in theaters with one of the best people I have ever known.
*Persona, 1966 (Criterion Channel/HBO Max) - 9
*Anchors Aweigh, 1945 (HBO Max) - 4
Rounders, 1998 (PC/Showtime) - 10
Spellbound, 1945 (YouTube) - 7
*Brief Encounter, 1945 (Criterion Channel/HBO Max) - 9
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, 2019 (Vudu) - 10
*Bullet Train, 2022 (Alamo Drafthouse) - 5
The Thing, 1982 (Alamo Drafthouse) - 10
*NYC Point Gods, 2022 (Showtime) - 8
*The Greatest Mixtape Ever, 2022 (YouTube TV) - 8
The Bells of St. Mary’s, 1945 (Tubi) - 7
*Prey, 2022 (Hulu) - 8
*Lightyear, 2022 (Disney+) - 7
*Mildred Pierce, 1945 (Vudu) - 8
*The Lost Weekend, 1945 (Criterion Channel) - 9
*9 to 5, 1980 (HBO Max) - 8
*Heaven Can Wait, 1978 (Paramount+) - 7
*Bodies Bodies Bodies, 2022 (Regal Huebner Oaks) - 7
*Runaway Train, 1985 (HBO Max) - 9
*Being There, 1979 (HBO Max) - 8
*Coming Home, 1978 (Borrowed from Connor) - 9
*The Endless Summer, 1966 (Amazon Prime) - 8
*High Fidelity, 2000 (HBO Max) - 8
X-Men, 2000 (Disney+) - 8
*Best in Show, 2000 (HBO Max) - 8
*Sexy Beast, 2000 (Hulu) - 9
Pitch Perfect, 2012 (YouTube TV) - 6
Cinderella, 1997 (Disney+) - 7
The Third Man, 1949 (Criterion Channel) - 9
*The Black Phone, 2022 (Peacock) - 8
First Time Watches - 21
Rewatches - 9
30 total films watched for an average of 7.93
Streaming Service Counter:
Amazon Prime - 1
Borrowed from Connor - 1
Criterion Channel - 4
Disney+ - 3
HBO Max - 6
Hulu - 2
Paramount+ - 1
PC - 1
Peacock - 1
Showtime - 1
Theaters - 3
Tubi - 1
Vudu - 2
YouTube - 1
YouTube TV - 2
Top 5 August Watches
5. The Greatest Mixtape Ever
ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series has been a part of my life for 13 years now and I very rarely miss anything they put out. I recorded The Greatest Mixtape Ever in May when it initially aired and finally got around to it in August. It’s a pretty straightforward story about the impact that the AND1 Mixtapes had on basketball culture back in the early 2000’s. Directed by Chris Robinson and DJ Set Free, the documentary gave me a nice trip down nostalgia lane that I didn’t know I needed. It wasn’t the best thing I watched in August, but it hit me at the perfect time and reminded me of being a kid which is a fucking cool feeling.
4. Rounders
I have owned John Dahl's Rounders for a long time, but there was one night early in August where I was just flipping channels at like 1 am and I stumbled upon Showtime as the film was just about to start. I knew I had to dive in even though it’s one of the films I’ve rewatched most in my entire life. There’s something about Mike McD and Worm’s wild ride that I just can’t fucking get enough of. Rounders always delivers and it firmly sits right behind The Big Lebowski as my second favorite film from 1998.
3. Coming Home
One of the best feelings in the world is when Connor and I cover a film on Oscar Sunday that rocks both of us. Directed by Hal Ashby, Coming Home isn’t available anywhere to stream which is odd because I feel like it’s a film that should have some kind of cult following as it was one of the most profitable films from 1978. Connor was able to buy the DVD online and then let me borrow it for our podcast. I liked it so much that I think I’m going to buy my own copy for my shelf at home. Coming Home received eight Oscar nominations and won three (Best Screenplay, Best Actor to Jon Voight, and Best Actress to Jane Fonda). Christ almighty, those performances will stick with me forever just like the ending of the film will stick with me because the tears I shed were real as Tim Buckley’s "Once I Was" plays in the background while we watch the main characters meet their fate in unforgiving fashion.
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Every now and again, Connor and I choose a mutual favorite for Oscar Sunday and we did just that with Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Fuckin' hell, it’s such a gorgeous film that I see as one of the dude's finest works within a very rich filmography. I still remember going to the theater back in 2019 and feeling an event type atmosphere that we so rarely get from a writer/director these days. QT really has earned his spot as someone to sincerely look forward to because every single time, his work oozes with admiration and passion for the art of filmmaking.
1. The Thing
Early on in August, Connor invited me to go see John Carpenter’s masterpiece The Thing at the Alamo Drafthouse where we both used to work. We met there and immediately figured out that we both had an unhealthy obsession with films. That realization led to us starting a podcast together and to a really solid friendship. He was in my wedding in June and has become someone that I see as a brother. One of the first films we talked about when we met was The Thing and I admitted to him that I hadn’t seen it and he said I needed to change that. That same night, I did change that. I’ve seen it probably ten times within a five year span and now one of those times being in theaters with one of the best people I have ever known.