2010 in Retrospect: Return to Cinemas

This is the first in a series of retrospective looks at my movie-going experiences in 2010.

Clockwise from top left: Avatar, City Lights, Castle in the Sky,
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Toy Story 2, Toy Story

Theatrical re-releases of old films were once very common, but they have become rare since the advent of home video, which is unfortunate since some great films are worth experiencing again on the big screen. Thankfully, I was able to see re-releases of some exceptional movies in 2010, starting with two of my all-time favorites, Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999), in April (some countries got it in late 2009 already). The selling point of this re-release was 3D, and while some may complain, I don’t see a problem with it. I don’t especially love 3D, but I don’t hate it either. It’s actually quite beneficial in this case: most people normally wouldn’t bother to see a theatrical re-release, but 3D acts as a good gimmick to attract those people (and charge a bit more at the same time). If 3D is a good excuse for studios to re-release films I love, I’m all for it. The future looks bright: Beauty and the Beast (which has already been re-released in some countries in 3D) is coming to Hong Kong next year, and 3D re-releases for the Star Wars saga, The Lion King, Titanic and Ratatouille are also in the works. Bring ‘em on!

Then in July, thanks to a good friend, I had the unexpected chance of attending a special screening of Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights (1931) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. I had never seen the black-and-white silent film before, and the special thing about this screening was that a live orchestra was there to play the score as the film unfolded. More importantly though, the movie was excellent: unbelievably funny and touching.

The movie itself may be rather new, but the Special Edition of Avatar (2009) in August was technically a re-release too, with 8 minutes of additional footage. Last year, I was temporarily stunned by Avatar, so much to the extent that I proclaimed it the best movie of the 2000s, but I take it back now. The visuals were undeniably strong, but during my initial viewing they blinded me from the film’s flaws in storytelling, which became apparent the second time round. Overall it’s still a solid film, but hardly the best of the 2000s and not even the best James Cameron flick.

Finally, the Studio Ghibli Film Festival in December was a treat. Five of the studio’s animated films were selected for re-release: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) and Spirited Away (2001). I didn’t have time for all of them, so I chose the first two. It was a pity they didn’t use the new remastered HD transfers for the films (and the Chinese subtitles for Castle were distractingly superimposed on the screen by a second projector), but seeing the beautiful animation of these classic Miyazaki films on the big screen was a breathtaking experience nonetheless. I had never seen Nausicaä before, and I was surprised by how intense and thought-provoking it was. It’s actually quite similar to Castle (airships, strong violence, environmental protection themes), though I prefer the plotline of Castle more. Anyway, both are great films and I’m definitely getting them on Blu-ray later.

Even a Blu-ray/DVD junkie like me thinks that certain films should be re-released in theaters more often. Unless there’s some major technological breakthrough in the future, there’s nothing that can replicate the euphoric theatrical experience... 3D or no 3D.