Looking forward to 2018 in Film

So here we are, the end of another year! It was a busy one for me as I made a major career change by going into consulting. This means my time is more flexible, but I have a lot of irons in the fire...which is good, because I get to do more cool things, but also tends to mean I don't have as much time to devote to any one thing. I also have to be a bit more finance-conscious. For a variety of reasons, distractions, etc., I didn't watch as many new-to-me films as in previous years. Here's the tally since I started reporting out:

2015: 178

2016: 162

2017: 85

(I use www.icheckmovies.com to record my viewings. Anyone else who uses this service, add me as a 'friend' - jcdohio)

What am I looking forward to in 2018?

Renowned Belgian film director Agnès Varda is coming to the Harvard Film Archive! Varda, who is known for her influential creative style, especially during the French new wave, will be entering her 90th year (!), and she is still producing films. On Friday, Feb 22, she will attend the screening of her 2017 documentary Faces Places (Visages Villages), and on Saturday Feb 23 she'll be present for Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi) from 1985. I expect she'll make some comments and take audience questions. I haven't yet had the opportunity to see any of this 'trailblazing woman's' films, but this is my opportunity, and to get to hear her insights live is certainly a great privelege. The HFA is also screening a number of her other films during the month of February.

The 2018 TCM Film Festival (of COURSE!) in Hollywood, April 26-29. This year, the theme is Powerful Words: The Page Onscreen, promising film adaptations of novels, short stories, memoirs, poetry, or any other written medium. A few films have already been announced, and the entire program won't be available until shortly before the festival starts. This may be my chance to finally see the Laurence Olivier version of Hamlet! Catching up with film friends will be a highlight, as well, and making some new friends. I may also take time away from Tinseltown to catch a Dodgers game before the festival starts. My sources tell me the reigning National League champs are in town! Check out the 1-min promo clip below:

From www.berklee.edu

The Coolidge Corner Theatre hasn't yet announced their 2018 collaboration with the Berklee Silent Film Orchestra, but in past years a world premiere of a new score, played live by this great local ensemble, would happen in May, so I keep checking their website. Last year, their score for Harold Lloyd's The Freshman was incomparable. I hope to see this score released on DVD soon! Their recent scores for Variete and The Last Laugh are now available on DVD and Blu-Ray on the Kino Lorber label.

McFarland Books will releases Derek Sculthorpe's latest biography, this time of film noir queen Claire Trevor. I look forward to reading about this underrated actress whose film career lasted over 50 years. You may know her best as John Wayne's love interest in Stagecoach (1939) or as the sultry singer from Key Largo (1948).

Claire Trevor (IMDb.com)

This is just a sampling of what I know will be another great year of film-watching and blogging. I hope to continue to join blogathons and get involved in more such events to learn about films and film history, and to 'give back' to do my little part to keep classic film alive!

Happy New Year everyone! Gotta get ready to party!