On the evening of September 17th, I volunteered to introduce the Vancity Theatre’s screening of Park Chan-wook’s cult classic “Oldboy” (2003). This is what I had to say about it.

Good evening. My name is Christopher Beaubien and I am honoured to be here.

Very soon your heart will be pounding in your chest. Your stomach will sink into its knees. And we’ll all be grinning ear-to-ear watching “Oldboy” in all of its 4K glory.

How many of you are seeing this movie for the first time?

Back in 2005, a horror movie buff loaned me a VHS copy of “Basket Case” and then he challenged me to show him a really scary movie. I hate to disappoint and I knew just the movie to show him. Once I had the movie set up to show my new friend as well as 30 other people (Don’t ask), he asked me — he was so excited:

“Chris, is this movie really scary?”

I assured him it was.

Then the air turned to chill and his face betrayed apprehension.

He asked me again, “Chris, is this movie really scary?”

I told him it was.

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Here are my Favorite Pre-2020 First-Watches and Discoveries of 2022:

“Prince of the City”
“The Last Family” (2016)
“Harvey” (1950)
“White of the Eye”
“Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me”
“The Hidden Fortress”
“Hollow Man”
“Mommie Dearest”
“Adoration” (2019)
“Landscape Suicide”
“One Deadly Summer”
“Vinyan”
“Vampire’s Kiss”
“Angel Face” (1953)
“Frenzy” (1972)
“Charley Varrick”
“Wild River”
“The Last Waltz”
“Bluebeard” (1963)
“Turkey Shoot” (1982)
“The Colour of Lies”
“The Keep”
“Série Noire” (1979)
“La Bouche de Jean-Pierre”
“Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl”
“Rendez-Vous in Paris”
“L’Amour Braque”
“Lifeforce”
“Showgirls”
CONTINUE READING ►