Gas Station September

2 September: visited the closest gas station I frequent at 10PM, devouring coffee and fries.

3 September: So, I was a tad slow to begin this marathon because it was conceived in mere last days of August and I needed some additional research. As best way to re-check was the IMDb keyword I decided it can't be much better than to start with the earliest title with a gas station I could've find. Georges Méliès is always a pleasure to watch and it's fascinating how many effects and techniques he was able to conceive, effectively propelling cinema to its modern state.

Gas Station Scene(s): Second scene of the short is two drivers visiting the garage, which doubles as a filling station and having as much petrol as they could. They than accidentally run over a policeman and try and fail to reanimate him by pumping air into him, after which he explodes. If it sounds weird and surreal, well... It's a very early silent comedy, so it's entitled.

3 September: I love that movie. It's not really that eventful, but the way things are filmed, edited, acted and set to music are lovely (no pun intended) and superbly suspenseful. A super-solid, stylish directorial debut, if in a tandem and both Kathryn Bigelow and Monty Montgomery got good careers afterwards, although latter as a producer. Equally great debut for Willem Dafoe in his first starring and credited role (and he will pop up in this marathon at least twice more, if things go as planned!). Movies like this are primarily what I had in mind for that marathon, but I'm in for surprises in different areas, as well. You never know what is waiting for you in the gas station. Every genre can use it.

Gas Station Scene(s): A lot of those: some of the primary locations include a diner and a rented garage, both of them with handy gas stations attached. That combo of gas station and diner is a kind of iconic image of 1950's Americana.

4 September: Was reminded of that when I discussed on Dino Drac After Dark that Convenience Store from Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) is also a gas station, technically. Such is one depicted in this earlier effort by David Lynch. His commercials are brilliant short films and this one is no exception.

Gas Station Scene(s): Whole commercial is set on one.

4 September: A brief sunset visit to the same aforementioned gas station. A cup of coffee and not exactly the mood to appreciate all of that, sadly.

5 September: Pleasant evening visit to a gas station for a casual pairing of hotdog and coffee peppered by a myriad of WTF situations on the station itself, which are absolutely going into my film scripts at some point. Also bought myself a specific candy for this challenge: Reese's Nutrageous which I haven't seen anywhere else in Ukraine. Gas station assortments of snack often consist of odd and unique imported stuff.

6 September: I consider it a good sign that I've encountered a music video with a gas station in it as I was thinking about this very marathon/watching project. It was also absent on IMDb and adding some titles with gas stations is them was a crucial aspect I wanted to integrate so this served as a nice jumpstart. Plus, overall I was just glad to encounter that video at that point of my life. It's very "me" in many ways: lo-fi production (this was likely filmed on a camcorder or DSLR with a single lens) which actually manages to look really cinematic, combination of urban landscapes, strategic half-dilapidated structures nature is starting to reclaim, autumn vibes...

Gas Station Scene(s): Mac DeMarco is seen fueling the car at night himself then returning to the car. Earlier shots filmed at this spot might include one where he eats a burger.

8 September: Just a fast snack of coffee and a hot dog on a gas station nearby.

9 September: First regular visit to cinema since quarantine started was very social distanced (I was alone) and well worth it. A great movie, so far the best this year had to offer. A very poetic, masterfully surreal representation of Ukraine's history, which was well worth the wait. And what a wait it was: 7 years in production and 53 (!) years since the inception of the initial idea. It's a bit of a shame on the one hand that this movie got released during the quarantine when it has lesser chances, but on the other hand we might need it exactly now.

Gas Station Scene(s): During the awesome ending, you can notice a gas station in the car window at least once as car passes it. I am absolutely counting this. There's no need to be a concept purist of actually having something important in the movie tied in the gas station. In fact, after a month, I might start to notice them a lot more than I ever did before in anything I watch.

10 September: A hot dog and a coffee on a gas station nearby.

11 September: Another Ukrainian movie and is also a great one. It has a really unique contemporary ostern (as opposed to contemporary western) atmosphere and a very close-to-home Eastern Ukrainian setting.

Gas Station Scene(s): A LOT of those, since movie's main setting is a gas station. It's practically a theme in this movie.

15-16 September: Casual vistis for hot-dog, coffee and inspiration.

18 September: A very pleasant chance encounter with this movie sent me back on track, thankfully! Glad to rewatch it, even as a "background noise" while catching up with some stuff. A very atmospheric, unique mixture of sci-fi, magic themes and horror with shades of slasher still hanging over franchise (and enough killing in the movie to merit an inclusion in that genre too).

Gas Station Scene(s): There are three major scenes set on two different gas stations. One that pop ups in the beginning and the end is an immediate "bookend" memory from this movie, but there is also one in Santa Mira when Dr. Challis and Ellie arrive here.