Let's Talk Movies #34 - Kingsmen, Murder, Blade Runners and...IT!

[Desperado]

Newest Justice League trailer and it looks AWESOME!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r9-DM9uBtVI

Thanks for this - it does look great, especially Jason Momoa. All I could think about though was how old and bloated Ben Affleck looked - ah, the privilege of white men in Hollywood. A female character would've been recast with a 20-year old.

 

[Vash01]

I saw Loving Vincent - a movie about Vincent Van Gogh, done entirely in oil paints in his style - something like 100 artists worked on the film. Beautiful to look at.

Also saw The Departure, a documentary a zen monk in Japan who counsels suicidal people. I found his story highly problematic. The movie doesn't touch on whether he's received any formal training or if his practice is anchored in any particular framework...and so it seems altogether reckless that he seems to be the one lifeline for so many at risk individuals. I won't say any more as it could enter true spoiler territory.

Grateful for film fests.

Seeing Columbus next. So freaking excited. John Cho is TITAN.

I have not seen the documentary you mentioned, so I can't address the specific problem you had with the Zen monk counseling suicidal people. Zen monks, due to their years of meditation practice and deep philosophical knowledge are very qualified to counsel people (if they choose to do so). They are not certified psychologists as a rule, but they have a very deep understanding of mental processes, perhaps more than those with traditional training in psychology in the west. They don't call it training in psychology, it goes much deeper than that. I have known highly qualified psychologists/psychiatrists who have added similar meditation practices to deepen their understanding.

Also a Zen monk in Japan counseling Japanese people is no different than a Catholic priest counseling Catholics living in the west

I will see if Netflix has this documentary so I can rent it.

 

[jl22aries]

@Vash01 I agree with you! Beautifully and articulately put and thank you for reminding us of the many gifted healers among us. I can certainly say I'm grateful for them for their support in surviving this lifetime. This movie didn't touch on his training, and was interested in showing his struggles. Do consider that both things can be true; Zen monks, priests, people who are gifted healers, can be both qualified to counsel, and also in want of better practice. This monk was one very burnt out practitioner who was missing an alarming degree of self attunement. And he seemed to be the ONE lifeline for people in VERY high risk situations.

[Possible Spoiler].....

The film shows him taking calls on his personal cellphone from his clients in their moment of "9/10" during all hours of the day. Sometimes he would take the call, sometimes he would ignore it (and then go partying at the disco...) Also, for the film maker to joke during the Q/A that the monk was finally able to take a vacation during his viewing of the film's premier in NYC because his phone unexpectedly had no reception and he was unable to take all the calls from his clients...felt very discomforting. I hope you do see it and I'd be curious to hear your thoughts upon viewing.

If you wish to PM me to further this conversation, I welcome it!

Happy Monday

 

[Vash01]

@Vash01 I agree with you! Beautifully and articulately put and thank you for reminding us of the many gifted healers among us. I can certainly say I'm grateful for them for their support in surviving this lifetime. This movie didn't touch on his training, and was interested in showing his struggles. Do consider that both things can be true; Zen monks, priests, people who are gifted healers, can be both qualified to counsel, and also in want of better practice. This monk was one very burnt out practitioner who was missing an alarming degree of self attunement. And he seemed to be the ONE lifeline for people in VERY high risk situations.

[Possible Spoiler].....

The film shows him taking calls on his personal cellphone from his clients in their moment of "9/10" during all hours of the day. Sometimes he would take the call, sometimes he would ignore it (and then go partying at the disco...) Also, for the film maker to joke during the Q/A that the monk was finally able to take a vacation during his viewing of the film's premier in NYC because his phone unexpectedly had no reception and he was unable to take all the calls from his clients...felt very discomforting. I hope you do see it and I'd be curious to hear your thoughts upon viewing.

If you wish to PM me to further this conversation, I welcome it!

Happy Monday

Thanks. From what I am reading, it sounds like he didn't have the time to rejuvenate himself through meditation and solitude and that can be disastrous.
I will look for that documentary on Netflix. Hopefully they have it.

ETA- Netflix doesn't have it. Can someone help me out- where can I find it?

 

[smurfy]

I saw 'Mountain Between Us'.
I had read a review from the Toronto Film Festival - and agree with it - Well made move, not original. Chemistry between Kate Winslett and Iris Elba was amazing.
Nice to see Elba as a romantic lead - he is a beautiful man and has a presence about him.

The movie felt a little long. Someone brought a toddler to the movie that kept saying 'mommy' and it did impact my viewing. Several people went out to complain before an employee finally came in.
I find that really rude, especially a movie for adults. If you can't afford a babysitter - then you can't afford to go to the movie. I do not spend my money to hear your kid talk nonstop.

 

[Buzz]

Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer 2
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY

 

[Vash01]

'Only the Brave' movie premiere will be here in Tempe tonight. The screening is open to only First responders and AZ firefighters. The red carpet event is at 6pm and fans are encouraged to attend to cheer on the film's stars Josh Brolin and Miles Teller (plus the director) who will be in attendance. I may go there after work but it may be tough to make it by 6pm, through the rush hour traffic.

 

[watchthis!!]

I watched a movie this weekend called Sleepwalking, according to the DVD "making of" feature, it was made (partly) because of the success Charlize Theron had with Monster. She says that she wanted the role in this movie (which she co-produced) because her character was one where we could to see a woman who has flaws in a way that we often don't get to see with a female character. Sleepwalking is about an adult brother and sister (the brother is played by Nick Stahl) who are struggling making their lives work after growing up in a household with a tyrannical, angry and judgemental father. Overall I found the main story of the movie to be rather thin, but the movie is well made and the performances are top-notch. Dennis Hopper plays the father and Anna Sophia-Robb plays Theron's daughter. All four performances are of a very high quality. I just wish the script had a bit more depth and bite to it. I recommend this one if you like (troubled) family dramas of if you're a big fan of any of these actors. Although please note that Theron's character is missing from the middle half of the movie.

...I have to say Citizenfour was much more compelling mainly because as good a job as Gordon-Levitt did, I think Edward Snowden is more compelling. He is quite charismatic in the way he explains his train of thoughts and his motivations. What always strikes me when I hear him in an interview is how well-spoken and articulate he is, making any of those tedious programs understandable. On a complete shallow note, it's the first time in a biopic I find the real person being somewhat more handsome than the actor, not that Edward Snowden is handsome per say but still, Gordon-Levitt has too much of a baby face, cute like a little brother.

I am willing to go as far as to say that I think Snowden is hawt.

A miracle happened last night. My tv was able to play a DVD.

 

[Vash01]

Thanks. From what I am reading, it sounds like he didn't have the time to rejuvenate himself through meditation and solitude and that can be disastrous.
I will look for that documentary on Netflix. Hopefully they have it.

ETA- Netflix doesn't have it. Can someone help me out- where can I find it?

I saw it listed on Netflix but its availability is unknown. So it is in my Saved section now. Funny thing is their guess for Me is 5 stars!

 

[Vash01]

Went to the Red Carpet event for 'Only the brave'. Big crowd. I was quite far from the action, so I saw Josh Brolin from about 20 ft but saw Miles Teller up close, but not close enough for a selfie. The local TV host gave a speech and interviewed Brolin. The movie opens here on October 20th. It will be widely distributed in Arizona, I think because the tragedy is so close to our city and our hearts. Family members of those fire fighters were at tonight's event. They will see the movie tonight. I will post a few pictures on Facebook later.

ETA- The latest trailer of Only the Brave is 3.5 minutes long and it contains interviews with some of the actors.

http://wildfiretoday.com/2017/09/12/new-featurette-released-for-only-the-brave-movie/

There is a Donate button on their facebook, to support the families of the hotshots who were killed. It seems California fire fighters also get a share of it.

ETA again - Miles Teller looks better in person than on the screen. He also looks younger in person. Too bad I couldn't get a selfie with him but I got a couple of good photos of him- profile and front.

Josh Brolin said he took a year off from acting and lived in Arizona. He did some landscaping but no acting, to prepare for this role. I am curious to read the reviews but I am going to see the movie before I read those. I don't want the critics influencing me. They usually don't and I often disagree with them, but still I want to see this movie with a fresh mind. I still remember watching the memorials for the 19 firefighters, while at work, on my work computer- something I don't normally do (and I shed some tears too).

 

[kwanfan1818]

"Ex Libris" @PeterG

It's typical Wiseman: he shoots a bazillion hours -- in this case, the central library and branches in Manhattan and the Bronx -- and then edits it down to a slice-of-life format are carefully constructs them with breaks between them using shots of the central library lobbies. Some of the episodes are performances and others are interviews with artists and/or activists and/or scientists who've written books, and among the people who make appearances this way are Elvis Costello, Patty Smith, Yusef Komunyakaa, Richard Dawkins, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. I thought the guy at the end looked like Thomas Ades, but I didn't see his name on the credits.

This is the review from "The New Yorker":
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/r...mans-utopian-vision-of-libraries-in-ex-libris

 

[PeterG]

Trailers For Movies Released 2017-10-13th
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuI4-fSHhipQrRZIXLBwF3CuMWVI2WRs6

Another week with a lot of titles released, 24 in total. (But that’s nothing compared to last week’s 35!) I was surprised by how good this week’s selection is. Twelve titles are going on my to see list. And in a different week with lesser choices, I might have added 6 Below, Alex and Eve and maybe even Gnome Alone to my list. But I had to be selective, although with picking 12 out of the 24 to add to my list, it looks like I’m not succeeding well at my selectiveness! As it stands, I’m wondering if we could fill out most of the Oscar nominations slots with this week’s releases. What do you think?


Oct. 13th - Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (Wide) - Drama with Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Connie Britton and Oliver Platt

Oct. 13th - Happy Death Day (Wide) – Horror, new cast. From imdb.com: “A college student relives the day of her murder with both its unexceptional details and terrifying end until she discovers her killer's identity.”

Oct. 13th - Marshall (Wide) – Thriller with Dan Stevens, Kate Hudson, Josh Gad, Chadwick Boseman, James Cromwell and Sterling K. Brown

Oct. 13th - Gnome Alone (Wide) – Animated with Jeff Dunham, Josh Peck and George Lopez

Oct. 13th - Breathe (Limited) - Drama with Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Tom Hollander and Hugh Bonneville

Oct. 13th - Goodbye Christopher Robin (Limited) - Drama with Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie and Kelly Macdonald

Oct. 13th - The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (Limited) – Comedy drama with Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Sigourney Weaver, Judd Hirsch and Emma Thompson

Oct. 13th - 6 Below: Miracle On The Mountain (Limited) Adventure with Josh Hartnett and Mira Sorvino

Oct. 13th - The Secret Scripture (Limited) – Drama with Rooney Mara, Aidan Turner, Theo James, Eric Bana, Jack Reynor and Vanessa Redgrave

Oct. 13th - The Foreigner (Wide) – Action thriller with Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan

Oct. 13th - 78/52: Hitchcocks Shower Scene (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), the "man behind the curtain", and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema.”

Oct. 13th - Te Ata (Limited) - Drama with new cast and Graham Greene. From imdb.com: “Te Ata set her sights on Broadway and what she thought was her life's dream. Audition after audition she was rejected and began to wonder if she was cut out for the bright lights.”

Oct. 13th - The Man From Earth: Holocene (Limited) – Sci-fi with Vanessa Williams and William Katt

Oct. 13th - Monogamish (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “Recovering from a very public divorce, independent filmmaker and Italian Prince Tao Ruspoli takes to the road to talk to his relatives, advice columnists, psychologists, historians, anthropologists, artists, philosophers, sex workers, sex therapists, and ordinary couples about love, sex & monogamy in our culture.”

Oct. 13th - American Satan (Limited) – Musical thriller with Denise Richards, Booboo Stewart [The Twilight movies] and Malcolm McDowell

Oct. 13th - Tom of Finland (New York, then L.A. Oct. 20th) – Drama. From imdb.com: “Award-winning filmmaker Dome Karukoski brings to screen the life and work of one of the most influential and celebrated figures of twentieth century gay culture.”

Oct. 13th - Human Flow (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “Over 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war in the greatest human displacement since World War II. Human Flow, an epic film journey led by the internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei, gives a powerful visual expression to this massive human migration.”

Oct. 13th - Alex & Eve (Limited) – Australian romantic comedy, new cast. From imdb.com: “Alex, a Greek Orthodox schoolteacher, falls for Lebanese Muslim lawyer, Eve. The relationship is forbidden by both families, and thus the emotional dilemma of 'Alex and Eve' is created.”

Oct. 13th - Haze (Limited) – Thriller, new cast. From imdb.com: “In the aftermath of a brutal fraternity hazing death, a college freshman's desire to join the best fraternity on campus is compromised when his older brother launches an anti-hazing crusade. A modern retelling of ancient Greek mythology, HAZE is a sobering, realistic portrait of what truly goes on behind fraternity and sorority house walls.”

Oct. 13th - Wasted! The Story of Food Waste (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “Through the eyes of famous chefs, audiences will see how they make the most of every kind of food, transforming what most people consider scraps into incredible dishes that create a more secure food system.”

Oct. 13th - Swing Away (Limited) – Comedy drama with Shannon Elizabeth and John O'Hurley

Oct. 13th - Surviving Peace (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “delves deeply into the core issues driving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It challenges the conventional wisdom about the underlying reasons for the conflict and what solutions may be possible.”

Oct. 13th - How to Break up With Your Douchebag (Limited) – Comedy from Mexico. From imdb.com: “This comedy takes its cue from such female-centered films as "Bridesmaids" and "Trainwreck." Pic centers on a woman who makes a living from breaking up couples and decides to take on the task of splitting up her sister's relationship with her jerk of a boyfriend.”

Oct. 13th - The Departure (Limited) – Drama from Japan. From imdb.com: “…intimate character study of the complex figure Ittetsu Nemoto, an aimless and rebellious former punk rocker-turned-Buddhist priest. Most famously, he is renowned in Japan for saving the lives of countless suicidal men and women through his wise and compassionate counsel.”

 

[Buzz]

First trailer for The New Mutants. It definitely looks WAAAAY to dark and scary for me. I prefer my comicbook movies light and fluffy. This looks like the kind of movie that would give Stephen King nightmares.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fh6bhS2Gmjk

 

[watchthis!!]

Gal Gadot May Find Time To Squeeze In Another Movie Between DC Projects
https://www.cinemablend.com/news/17...-squeeze-in-another-movie-between-dc-projects

A bit from the article:

Ruin tells the story of an ex-Nazi captain that is looking for his former SS squad mates in the days after the end of World War II. Although, this isn't going to be a happy reunion, but rather one of revenge, as he's looking to kill his former colleagues to settle a score.

Unfortunately the movie has the same director as Assassin's Creed, which I believe was a box office bomb. But maybe that movie flopped for reason's other than his directing. We will see...

 

[Vash01]

Just bought my ticket to the early screening of 'Only the brave' for tonight. Looking forward to it.

Next step- buy the ticket for 'The last Jedi'- I am not sure of the date yet.

 

[Vash01]

Just bought my ticket to the early screening of 'Only the brave' for tonight. Looking forward to it.

Next step- buy the ticket for 'The last Jedi'- I am not sure of the date yet.

I went to see the movie, got in my seat well ahead of time. Two minutes before the movie was to start, the manager came in and announced they didn't have the movie so we will get the refund. Had to wait in line for almost a half hour to get the refund because there were so many people. I am pissed. I may try another theatre tomorrow but those are not as good as this theatre.

It was important fir me to see the early screening, knowing that I won't be able to see a movie next weekend. I will be in that stupid painting workshop which I am already regretting signing up for.

ETA- No show anywhere before Thursday. Not the best day for me.

 

[Vash01]

Saw 'The mountain between us'. Very good. It has been criticized for being too slow, too long, etc. For me it was just right. The mountain scenery was spectacular. Kate Winslet and Iris Elba were both very good. The dog too. I never got bored and I didn't know before seeing the movie how it ended, so it was very enjoyable. The best part was the scenery. I love snow covered mountains and photography. So I could really relate to Winslet's character. The only objection I had was that she was flying back to Denver, evening before her wedding! Which bride does that? Other than that, I really liked it.

 

[MacMadame]

Just saw Blade Runner 2.0. It was pretty good but not what I was expecting (not enough Harrison Ford for one thing). Also, I thought they were going one way with the story and it was stupid so I spent some time annoyed until they went in another direction that made more sense. But that's on me.

I want to watch it again when it comes out on DVD/streaming so I can see what I missed the first time.

Also, don't waste money on the 3D version. The 3D stuff was barely noticeable.

 

[Vash01]

Saw two movies with Lauren Bacall in them. One was The Forger (2012), with Josh Hutcherson and Alfred Molina. It was pretty good and IMO Lauren brought something special to it. She has a great screen presence. The other was The mirror has two faces, a comedy with Barbra Streisand. She was Oscar nominated for best Supporting actress (didn't win). Now I want to see her movies when she was young. I have not seen any of those, so I added a few oldies to my Netflix queue. I have over 200 movies in the queue, but I will move up at least one of the Lauren Bacall movies.

 

[Buzz]

The official Black Panther trailer is here and it looks insane!!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDjIWPwcPU

 

[gk_891]

The official Black Panther trailer is here and it looks insane!!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDjIWPwcPU

Looks very interesting!

 

[gk_891]

Just saw Blade Runner 2.0. It was pretty good but not what I was expecting (not enough Harrison Ford for one thing). Also, I thought they were going one way with the story and it was stupid so I spent some time annoyed until they went in another direction that made more sense. But that's on me.

I want to watch it again when it comes out on DVD/streaming so I can see what I missed the first time.

Also, don't waste money on the 3D version. The 3D stuff was barely noticeable.

I'll be waiting to see this one. I'll be interested to compare it to the original version. The funny thing is that I hated the original Blade Runner when I first saw it. But when I saw the Director's Cut years later, I fell in love with it. I can't recall how different the final cut was though (besides the unicorn dream being longer).

 

[MacMadame]

The Director's Cut didn't have the narration. However, I'd seen the original cut so many times that every time I watch it now (I only watch the Director's Cut now), I still hear the narration in my head!

 

[Vash01]

I saw 'Mountain Between Us'.
I had read a review from the Toronto Film Festival - and agree with it - Well made move, not original. Chemistry between Kate Winslett and Iris Elba was amazing.
Nice to see Elba as a romantic lead - he is a beautiful man and has a presence about him.

The movie felt a little long. Someone brought a toddler to the movie that kept saying 'mommy' and it did impact my viewing. Several people went out to complain before an employee finally came in.
I find that really rude, especially a movie for adults. If you can't afford a babysitter - then you can't afford to go to the movie. I do not spend my money to hear your kid talk nonstop.

It's a shame that the mother of the toddler brought him to this movie in particular (though she shouldn't do that to Any movie goer). This is a very quiet, kind of introverted movie, where the characters discover something about themselves. I love those types. I really got into it because the theatre was very quiet (just one third filled). The gorgeous scenery and the two characters blended so well together! I may even see it again, and this time just enjoy the peace and quiet of the mountains. I didn't really see it it as a romantic movie, though there was some. It was a survival movie - first physical survival, then emotional survival. The relationship between the characters was nicely developed.

BTW some of the comments in the IMDB reviews were reprehensible and clearly racist. I can understand someone not liking a certain type of movie, but to say stuff like black man-white woman is wrong, and give it a 1/10 is just hateful.

 

[gk_891]

The Director's Cut didn't have the narration. However, I'd seen the original cut so many times that every time I watch it now (I only watch the Director's Cut now), I still hear the narration in my head!

Sorry, what I meant to say was how the Director's Cut was different from the Final Cut. Both versions did not have the voice over narration.

 

[watchthis!!]

An X-Men spin-off will come out next year, here’s the first trailer for it:

The New Mutants (April 2018) starring Anya Taylor-Joy (Split, The Witch), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) and Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwT879-4Wjs

The plot from imdb.com:

Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.

 

[VGThuy]

I was sure they were going to do a spin-off series once I watched the end of Logan. I didn't like that movie, but I'll save you my spiel here. People I know didn't appreciate my thoughts on it.

 

[Buzz]

The New Mutants is unfortunately a horror movie and not my cup of tea. I prefer my super people movies light and fluffy.

 

[MacMadame]

Sorry, what I meant to say was how the Director's Cut was different from the Final Cut. Both versions did not have the voice over narration.

There was a cut after the Director's Cut?

 

[PeterG]

I was half-done watching Manchester In The Sea when the whole Weinstein story took a bit of a turn to include some of Ben Affleck's...damn, what word can I use that won't sound flippant/insensitive...some of Affleck's misdeeds? And of course, that made me look into more about what Casey Affleck has done. So returning to the movie was a bit blechy. My first thought about watching Casey Affleck play an insensitive loser was, "is this even acting"? But the story itself drew me in with a big reveal that was tough not to feel compassion towards. But I did find myself wondering why the movie was about Casey Affleck instead of Michelle William's character. Why do serious dramas have to be about the person who keeps doing the wrong thing instead of the character who is doing more right than wrong? Michelle Williams' character was more interesting and Williams herself is much more interesting to watch than Casey Affleck. I do think the movie itself deserved a best picture nomination. Kenneth Lonergan was nominated for director (he lost) and original screenplay (he won). I would have preferred Taylor Sheridan won the screenplay award for Hell or High Water. But this was a good screenplay, although quite the downer of a movie. Didn't like the ending....not because of faulty writing, but just that a downer of a movie ended in a real downer way. Kyle Chandler is under-used, I'd probably have enjoyed a movie about his character over Casey Affleck's character as well.

And one last thing about Michelle Williams...she's joining a list of others who are becoming overdue for an Oscar win. She's been nominated four times (no wins) and has also given good performances in these movies for which she did not receive a nomination: Meek's Cutoff, Wendy and Lucy, Suite Française (among others).