YOUR EXCUSES ARE YOUR OWN: What to watch in November

 

The correct phrase would be "Post-Holiday Letdown," but this year, we call it "No more Spooky Pussy for you."

 

It's hard, we know - but you can put that hardness into a new seasonal celebration: the rich, brown, cold month of November. It's a tricky month; it's a transitional period bridging the two major holidays - but we shouldn't discredit the B-sides and Deep Cuts that play nicely with all that this month has to offer (up to & including a notable American festival). But apart from that, when it comes to these grey months, it takes some extra helpings of imagination and personal experience to really set a tone that's memorable; I'm sure there are plenty of movies set in November, but that's far from the point - it's more fun to be less literal.

 

This is what we watch -- you do what you want.

 

- Paul

 

 

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The cloudy skies & crunchy leaves make this the most logical metamorphosis from Halloween to Happy Holidays.

Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

The texture of the movie may feel like a sweaty armpit, but its November '99 release date still gives me a chill.

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

It's supposed to be Summer (I think), but the rainy nighttime setting has strong chilly weather vibes.

Always Be Cozy.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

As I asserted in last year's Sounds of the Season, this film is saturated in European fog and cold breath, allowing no better time to viddy well.

Son-in-Law (1993)

So even though the entire movie is about coming home from school for Thanksgiving, it took me roughly a quarter century to even consider it as a holiday film.

 

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

I don't think I need to say much here, except to use this as an example to point out what a severe sacrilege it would be to watch movies out of season -- might as well eat peanut butter & onions in the Summertime for Christ's sake.

 

American Gangster (2007)

There is a Thanksgiving sequence in there, and while the story spans several years, the lion's share of scenes are generally dark & grey - literally and figuratively.

 

Prisoners (2013)

The story kicks off with one very tragic Thanksgiving Day, and the remainder of the movie is freezing rain and darkness. Season's Greetings.

 

Home For the Holidays (1995)

Food, Family, and Fun - just like real life! No, really - this depiction of the joyous celebration of mealtime and togetherness is saturated in the sounds & smells of this very tense & bittersweet American institution.

Dutch (1991)

I'll forgo all the tired parallels between this & Planes, Trains... and treat it as its own thing - cuz it is! I mention the accuracy of the seasonal atmosphere that permeates most of these movies, but there are moods and shots in this film that speak more loudly to me than any of the others.

Blood Rage (1987)

I know there's debate as to how many Thanksgiving Horror movies there are, but this is the only one I've ever bothered with - and I don't feel at all deprived; this is the perfect amount of gratuitous gore for this short, specific part of my year.

Addams Family Values (1993)

If you watch this during any other time of year, get your shit together man.

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

Sure it charts not one but several Thanksgiving Days, but really that's just a rational excuse to watch one of the better Woody Dramas.

The Beatles Anthology (1995)

The original, abridged docuseries on this obscure Liverpool band from the 1960s originally aired on ABC in November of 1995. And so, that's when my lust began. And so, every year, if I'm in the right mood, I try to rekindle the flames of this marriage.

Killing Them Softly (2012)

Is it raining? Is it snowing? Is it an election year? If you answered "Yes" to any of these, then this largely overlooked vaudeville act will keep you company.