Favorite First-Time Watches of October 2024
Only three movies in October I watched are worth recommending. I spent too much time on the Friday the 13thfranchise, most of which is not worth recommending. Below are the three films you should check out.
The Story of G.I. Joe (1945) – William A. Wellman
Another war film comes from the director of the very first Oscar for Best Picture. This time it’s the true story of Ernie Pyle, an American war journalist who covered the infantrymen on the front lines in World War II.
Ernie was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his war correspondence. Ernie begins his journey with the men of Company C led by Lt. Bill Walker (Robert Mitcham in his only Oscar-nominated role). As they march to the front lines Ernie gets to know these men and decides to write about them.
It’s a dedication to the men/grunts who really fight the war. Where the war is won by the men who receive none of the glory. It’s easy to see how this became one of my personal favorite war films.
Red Rooms (2024) – Pascal Plante
In Montreal, Canada Kelly-Anne is obsessed with a high-profile serial killer case. She goes to the courthouse to watch the trial. Of the three victims, there is one video missing of the atrocities committed. Kelly-Anne goes down a dark path to obtain the missing video.
One of the more original films I have seen this year, as well as one of the scariest. Towards the end of the film, a few moments will get under your skin. A commentary on our fascination with true crime.
How that fascination can seep into our lives. Or how prevalent this true crime content is and how that can affect someone with is not altogether mentally stable. The film will slowly creep into your mind and sink its teeth into your memory.
The Last of Sheila (1973) – Herbert Ross
Written by the unlikely duo of Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim. Clearly, an inspiration for Ryan Johnson for the Knives Out films (Especially Glass Onion). A big-time movie producer’s wife is killed in a hit-and-run accident.
A year later, he invites six people who may have committed the hit-and-run, on a weeklong yacht vacation, to play a game in an attempt to solve the murder.
It boasts an all-star cast: James Coburn, Raquel Welch, Dyan Cannon, James Mason, and Richard Benjamin. If you’ve enjoyed either Knives Out or any Agatha Christie novel/film you should check this one out.
Rich people being awful, secrets exposed, and motives for murder abound. What I loved most is I thought I had it figured out, which I somewhat did, but it still keeps some secrets for the end. But the pieces are there for you to solve.
