Let's Talk Movies #35 – Sparrows and Panthers and Dinosaurs…Oh My!

[Aussie Willy]

I thought this would be a fun video to share here:

Why American Actors Suck at British Accents

Don't let the title fool you, Erik Singer, a dialect coach based in New York topples some myths about that and the converse. I do think my increased exposure to British dramas and comedies thanks to Amazon and Netflix has shown me that British actors are also capable of doing some horrible "American" accents. People say Americans usually only try to go for that stereotypical posh British accent (it seems to the roles American actors get cast in) when there are so many more regional variations all throughout the UK (Welsh, Yorkshire, etc.) but the same can be said about American accents as well.

That is really interesting. Actually even more difficult is an Australian accent. There are very few American actors or even British who have pulled it off. Kate Winslet is one and Robert Downey Jnr is another.

Funny I was looking at Youtube to find something on Australian accents. SNL doing a thing about Australian cinema. They nailed it (well not really but it is really funny).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5llm2WnLIaA

BTW - I saw Incredibles 2. Really enjoyed it and very well done.

 

[VGThuy]

Unfortunately, the video isn't available in my country. I'd be interested in knowing more about the regional variations of Aussie accents. I think we discussed this before.

 

[Seerek]

Hearts Beat Loud keeps things reasonably light, despite some potentially heavy topics and themes. Interestingly, despite the title, it's actually reason and pragmatism that eventually win out (won't give away too many spoilers).

Director Brett Haley ensures the focus is squarely on the evolving father-daughter relationship between Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons (there are no big fireworks in terms of confrontations, yet still very honest candor as daughter Sam Fisher transitions to adulthood).

 

[Vash01]

Finally saw 'Film stars don't die in Liverpool'. I missed it in the theatres. Actually I don't know if it ever came to the theatre that showed the trailer. I had never heard of Gloria Grahame.

Very good movie. Well acted by Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Waters and the rest of the cast. It was released in 2017 but received no Oscar nominations. The interviews on the dvd were interesting. Now I want to read the book by Peter Turner.

 

[watchthis!!]

Last night we watched Ali Wong's stand up special called Baby Cobra. Wong was the story editor and writer for the first season of Fresh Off The Boat. She then moved on to acting in the tv series American Housewife. We really enjoyed her stand-up, lots of laughs. The area where she took risks with her comedy was around pregnancy and what it's like when a woman has a miscarriage. This isn't exactly prime comedy material, so it was kind of shocking, but Wong is the type of comic who likes to have something to share or to say with her comedy in addition to being funny. This special is worth checking out.

Trailer for Ali Wong: Baby Cobra - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzk-bj5bRNs

 

[VGThuy]

Last night we watched Ali Wong's stand up special called Baby Cobra. Wong was the story editor and writer for the first season of Fresh Off The Boat. She then moved on to acting in the tv series American Housewife. We really enjoyed her stand-up, lots of laughs. The area where she took risks with her comedy was around pregnancy and what it's like when a woman has a miscarriage. This isn't exactly prime comedy material, so it was kind of shocking, but Wong is the type of comic who likes to have something to share or to say with her comedy in addition to being funny. This special is worth checking out.

Trailer for Ali Wong: Baby Cobra - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzk-bj5bRNs

Watch the follow up Hard Knock Wife. It's even raunchier.

 

[vgerdes]

BTW - I saw Incredibles 2. Really enjoyed it and very well done.

One of my favorites of the summer. I thought it was really interesting that they decided to pick up the story immediately after the action of the first movie, and have the family deal with the consequences of the destruction they caused before immediately launching into a new adventure. We got to see Mr. Incredible being a stay-at-home dad (and failing miserably, at first), and Edna Mode falling in love with baby Jack was the cutest. I figured out who the Big Bad really was pretty early in the story, which was the only real drawback for me. All in all, a great movie.

 

[Aussie Willy]

The movie would not have been complete if Edna hadn't been in it. The way Jack Jack responded to her was so funny and her response to him.

 

[watchthis!!]

Paul Schrader’s "First Reformed" Tops AwardsDaily’s First Half of the Year Critics Poll
https://www.awardsdaily.com/2018/06/25/paul-schraders-first-reformed-tops-awardsdailys-first-half-of-the-year-critics-poll/

114 critics top-ten lists were submitted, with more than 70 movies mentioned. The 31 movies that ended up on the most critic's lists are ranked in this article. Here are their top 10 movies of the year (so far):

1.“First Reformed’ (Paul Schrader, U.S.) (71 lists)
2.“Hereditary” (Ari Aster, U.S.) (65)
3.“You Were Never Really Here” (Lynne Ramsay, U.S.) (64)
4.“Annihilation” (Alex Garland, U.S.) (61)
5. “Black Panther” (Ryan Coogler, U.S.)( 61)
6.“The Rider” (Chloe Zhao, U.S.) (54)
7.“A Quiet Place” (John Krasinski, U.S.)(49)
8.“Paddington” (Paul King, U.K.) (49)
9.“Isle of Dogs” (Wes Anderson, U.S.) (40)
10.“Won’t You Be My Neighbor” (Morgan Neville, U.S.) (34)

 

[PeterG]

Trailers For Movies Released 2018-06-29th
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuI4-fSHhipQWmmb_jphpfeM6RbGuWRp_


June 29th - Sicario: Day of the Soldado (Wide) – Action drama with Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Matthew Modine and Catherine Keener

June 29th - Uncle Drew (Wide) – Comedy with Shaquille O'Neal, Tiffany Haddish, Mike Epps and J.B. Smoove

June 29th - Woman Walks Ahead (Limited) – Drama with Jessica Chastain, Ciarán Hinds and Sam Rockwell

June 29th - An Ideal Home (Limited) – Comedy drama with Paul Rudd, Kate Walsh, Alison Pill, Jake McDorman and Steve Coogan

June 29th - Three Identical Strangers (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “New York, 1980: three complete strangers accidentally discover that they are identical triplets, separated at birth. The 19-year-olds' joyous reunion catapults them to international fame, but it also unlocks an extraordinary and disturbing secret that goes beyond their own lives - and could transform our understanding of human nature forever.”

June 29th - Escape Plan 2: Hades (Limited - (DVD/Blu-Ray/Video on Demand) – Action thriller with Sylvester Stallone, Dave Bautista, Jesse Metcalfe and 50 Cent

June 29th - Leave No Trace (Limited) – Drama with Ben Foster. From imdb.com: “A father and his thirteen year-old daughter are living in an ideal existence in a vast urban park in Portland, Oregon, when a small mistake derails their lives forever.”

June 29th - Love, Cecil (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “…about Academy Award-winning costume designer Cecil Beaton. A respected photographer, artist and set designer, Beaton was best known for designing on award winning films such as 'Gigi' (1958) and 'My Fair Lady' (1964).”

June 28th - The Domestics (Limited) – Horror thriller with Tyler Hoechlin and Kate Bosworth

June 29th - Black Water (Limited) – Action drama with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren

June 29th - This is Congo (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “An unfiltered look in to the lives of 3 characters surviving amongst the most recent cycle of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, otherwise known as the M23 rebellion.”

June 29th - Love All You Have Left (Limited) – Drama, new cast. From imdb.com: “…the story of a woman who is distraught after the death of her young daughter. One day when she goes to investigate some noise in her attic she finds a teenage girl living there who says her name is Anne Frank.”

June 29th - Hover (Limited) – Sci-fi, new cast. From imdb.com: “HOVER takes place in the near future, where environmental strain has caused food shortages around the world.”

June 29th - The Game Changers (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “The Game Changers will introduce the world to elite athletes, special ops soldiers, visionary scientists, cultural icons and everyday heroes. Each on a mission to create a seismic shift in the way we eat and live.”

June 29th - The Cakemaker (Limited – New York) – Drama from Israel. From imdb.com: “A German pastry maker travels to Jerusalem in search of the wife and son of his dead lover.”

June 29th - Gabriel and the Mountain (Limited – New York) – Drama from France. From imdb.com: “Before entering a prestigious American university, Gabriel Buchmann decided to travel the world for one year, his backpack full of dreams. After ten months on the road, he arrived in Kenya determined to discover the African continent. Until he reached the top of Mount Mulanje, Malawi, his last destination.”

June 29th - Custody (Limited) – Drama from France. From imdb.com: “A broken marriage leads to a bitter custody battle with an embattled son at the centre.”

June 29th - Sanju (Wide) – Biographical drama from India. From imdb.com: “Sanju is a biopic of the controversial life of actor Sanjay Dutt: his film career, jail sentence and personal life.”

 

[Wyliefan]

If you can get to the Fathom Events showing of Bandstand tomorrow night, do it. I was lucky enough to see it on Broadway and I went again on Monday for the first Fathom showing. It's a truly lovely show. (Despite the title, it's not about "American Bandstand"! It's about WWII vets dealing with the aftermath of war as they start a swing band.)

 

[PeterG]

Two movies with a strong, intellingent and unrelenting lead female character:

1946's The Strange Woman is the first Hedy Lamarr movie I came across after seeing the exceptional documentary of her life, Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story. The Strange Woman is about a girl who lives with her (single) father whose sorrows and inner rage leaves him trying to drink all of the away. Lamarr's character is greatly affected by the abuse and neglect and steels herself into being a woman no one will take advantage of or control. The people around her do not understand her and judge her, but she doesn't let what anyone else thinks keep her from making the best life for herself. Of course, being a child of abuse means her actions are sometimes questionable. Which makes for an interesting role for Lamarr, which she does quite well with. I found her acting to be equal to that of someone like Vivien Leigh or Ingrid Bergman. The supporting cast all do a good job as well, helping the movie earn a strong 6.7 rating at imdb.com. There are two versions of this movie at youtube if you are interested.

Molly's Game features Jessica Chastain in what is arguably her best performance. Aaron Sorkin was rightfully Oscar-nominated for his adapted screenplay. Sorkin should have been nominated for best director over Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson. Chastain should have received a best actress nomination over Meryl Streep. And the movie should have been up for best picture in place of The Post. So it wuzrobbed, IMHO. Chastain has so much dialogue and quite a range of places where the story takes her. She remains unfazed for the most part, regardless on where her path leads her, showing off the steely determination of her character, refusing to be a victim in any way, shape or form. Such a good movie!

 

[watchthis!!]

A Home Of Our Own (1993) stars Kathy Bates as a widow who decides to move from Los Angeles with her six children. They pack as much as they can into their car and start driving. Eventually they end up in a small town in Idaho and something about the place feels like home to Bates' character, so that's where they decide to make their new home. Life is tough for a single mother with a new job as a waitress, but somehow they make it through it all (with the help of a kind neighbour). It's nice to see Bates in a regular everyday drama as she often plays characters in rather extreme situations. She still plays a tough lady, as she often does. Edward Furlong plays her older son and he holds his own with Bates. The movie feels just a little bit like an Afterschool Special, but for the most part in a good way. This one's for anyone who is a fan of either Bates or family dramas.

Trailer for A Home Of Our Own: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX2wdjAs5lg

 

[Seerek]

Paul Schrader’s "First Reformed" Tops AwardsDaily’s First Half of the Year Critics Poll
https://www.awardsdaily.com/2018/06/25/paul-schraders-first-reformed-tops-awardsdailys-first-half-of-the-year-critics-poll/

114 critics top-ten lists were submitted, with more than 70 movies mentioned. The 31 movies that ended up on the most critic's lists are ranked in this article. Here are their top 10 movies of the year (so far):

1.“First Reformed’ (Paul Schrader, U.S.) (71 lists)

My review on this film is up earlier in this thread. Will be interesting to see if this holds up.

I actually wouldn't be surprised if First Reformed gets a second wave of theatrical releases if it makes awards/year end short lists in the late fall/winter.

 

[Japanfan]

Not to give away too many spoilers, but there's been much discussion concerning the ending of Paul Schrader's First Reformer. For myself, I tend to lead toward an implied ending rather than literal (even though the film's general sentiments towards megachurches is rather clear).

My review on this film is up earlier in this thread. Will be interesting to see if this holds up.

I actually wouldn't be surprised if First Reformed gets a second wave of theatrical releases if it makes awards/year end short lists in the late fall/winter.

I couldn't find your review, but will take another look for it.

I agree with you that the ending is implied, but TBH I found myself not caring much. Although Ethan Hawke is brilliant in this IMO, the film largely didn't work for me.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I saw Ideal Home tonight. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Stars Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd as a gay couple who Coogan finds he has a grandson which turns up unexpectedly. It had some of the best laughs in a movie I have seen in a long time. I also really liked the relationship between Coogan and Rudd's characters. Enjoyable and I would recommend it.

 

[smurfy]

I saw Sicario 2 last night. I had seen the first one. It is very good. Not for everyone, very gritty and violent.
Feels real. Some actually takes place in McAllen, TX/border. Story is very timely.
Josh Brolin and especially Benecio del Toro were great, as was rest of cast. del Toro does a great job of making you unsure of what is going on, and whether you are rooting for him or can't trust him, but you can't stop watching him.
The storyline was interesting.
And the filming of the motorcade scenes are very effective. The music is cool too.
Very engrossing film where a lot happens and it keeps your attention the whole time.
Again written by Taylor Sheridan, who wrote the first one and 'Hell or High Water' and 'Wind River' which he also directed. I will see anything he writes - an interesting voice and unique.
When they made the 1st one - I don't think a sequel was planned. But they left it open for another sequel, which is fine with me.

 

[watchthis!!]

15 Background Characters Who Hilariously Ruined Their Scenes
https://www.goliath.com/movies/12-background-characters-who-hilariously-ruined-their-scenes/?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=outbrain&utm_campaign=GO_OBN_CA_MOBI&cus_widget=007763cd012ecbf91892554549a91fdaef&utm_content=obn_ca_m_movies

I always find stuff like this pretty funny. The scenes that I think are the most worth watching:


#14 - Everything Must Go

#13 - North by Northwest

#2 - The Dark Knight Rises

#1 - Star Wars

 

[annie720]

Just got back from seeing Won't You Be My Neighbor. I have tears in my eyes.

 

[PeterG]

Another movie with a fierce, powerful woman: 1930's Anna Christie, starring Greta Garbo. This movie is interesting as it starts off as a sombre, but not dark, family drama, then becomes a bit of a prickly romance and then flows into being an intense drama. In this last part of the movie, Garbo has one of the most powerful scenes I've ever witnessed by an actress. Bette Davis in Of Human Bondage and Shirley Maclaine in Terms of Endearment are two movies that have comparable performances. I found it amazing to watch this scene where two men verbally spar with one another over which will overpower and control this woman...and then Garbo steps up to the plate and basically demolishes them until they're crumpled and heaped over the table she is standing over. If I had witnessed this performance in the theatre, I'm sure I'd be watching with my jaw dropped...and would expect everyone around me to be in the same state. Garbo was nominated for the best actress Oscar, losing to Norma Shearer in The Divorcee. Now I have to find that movie, because I can't imagine anybody out-performing Garbo in Anna Christie. This movie also got Oscar nominations for director and cinematography. This was the first time Garbo spoke in a film. MGM had kept her from making a "talkie" for fear that she would not achieve success moving from silent film to talking picture. But her first line spoken in film was nominated for AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:

"Give me a whisky, ginger ale on the side. And don't be stingy, baby."

You can see that line delivered in Garbo's first scene from the movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SAf6UW5pFs

Anna Christie overall review: a must-see.

 

[snoopy]

We just got back from Sicario, I liked it but the boyfriend didn’t. The story was interesting in that they made the border sound as scary as Steve King says it is. The opening premise is terrorists coming through the southern border.

As an aside, del toro plays all the roles Charles Bronson would have played.

 

[skatesindreams]

Just got back from seeing Won't You Be My Neighbor. I have tears in my eyes.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/06/movies/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-review-mister-rogers.html

I hope that you are able to access this excellent documentary about Fred Rogers' lifelong association with Rollins College and Central Florida:
https://www.pbs.org/video/mister-rogers-in-our-neighborhood-ruqtdz/

New information about what made "Mister Rogers" the pivotal figure he became.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Beautiful Boy doesn't open until October, but man oh man, let the Oscar nominations begin.

 

[annie720]

I hope that you are able to access this excellent documentary about Fred Rogers' lifelong association with Rollins College and Central Florida:
https://www.pbs.org/video/mister-rogers-in-our-neighborhood-ruqtdz/

Thanks, that was interesting.

 

[Seerek]

Just got back from seeing Won't You Be My Neighbor. I have tears in my eyes.

The number of celebrity Tweet endorsements are off the charts: Sarah Silverman, Mandy Patinkin, Patton Oswalt, Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Perkins, Judd Apatow, Mark Duplass, Justine Bateman, etc. etc.

Interestingly...

Spoiler

Betty (Lady) Aberlin opted not to appear in the documentary, and Tweeted her explanation as to why she elected not to participate. Let it be known that she's featured prominently in the archived footage, as to be expected.

 

[VGThuy]

I can't seem to find the tweet. Could you write why

Spoiler

she opted not to participate?

 

[PeterG]

Trailers For Movies Released 2018-07-06th
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuI4-fSHhipSqcwhONPF1eCHNsrzHRRhE


July 6th - Ant-Man and the Wasp (Wide) – Adventure with Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, T.I., Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne and Michael Douglas

July 4th - The First Purge (Wide) – Action horror sci-fi with a new cast and Marisa Tomei & Steve Harris (The Practice)

July 6th - Sorry to Bother You (Limited) – Sci-fi comedy with Lakeith Stanfield [Get Out, Atlanta], Tessa Thompson, Patton Oswalt, Terry Crews, Steven Yeun [The Walking Dead], Danny Glover, Forest Whitaker and Armie Hammer

July 6th - Whitney (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “An in-depth look at the life and music of Whitney Houston.”

July 6th - Moss (Limited) – Romantic action drama, new cast. From imdb.com: “In this Southern Gothic coming-of-age tale, Moss meets a mysterious and beautiful hiker on the banks of the river near his home on his eighteenth birthday. She guides him on a journey of self-discovery and helps him overcome the tragic death of his mother and the shadow it has cast on his relationship with his detached father.”

July 6th - No Postage Necessary (Limited) – Comedy drama, new cast. From imdb.com: “Sam, a brilliant computer hacker seeking a better life, always seems to make the wrong choices, even under the watchful eye of his probation officer, Harry. Now Sam poses as a Postal Worker, stealing people's mail to make ends meet. Until one letter changes everything.”

July 7th - King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “A feature length documentary on the acclaimed work and eclectic career of maverick filmmaker Larry Cohen.”

July 4th – Nico, 1988 (Limited) – Musical drama with a new cast. From imdb.com: “The last year of singer Nico's life, as she tours and grapples with addiction and personal demons.”

July 6th - Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “A portrait of a genius music composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.” Films he composed for include The Revenant, The Last Emperor and Call Me By Your Name

July 6th - Under the Tree (Limited) – Comedy drama from Iceland. From imdb.com: “When Baldwin and Inga's next door neighbours complain that a tree in their backyard casts a shadow over their sundeck, what starts off as a typical spat between neighbours in the suburbs unexpectedly and violently spirals out of control.”

July 6th - Bleeding Steel (Limited) – Action sci-fi thriller with Jackie Chan

July 3rd - Fireworks (Special Engagement) – Animated from Japan. From imdb.com: “Schoolchildren Norimichi, Yûsuke and Jun'ichi want to know if fireworks look round or flat from the side. They make a plan to find the answer at a fireworks display, while Nazuna schemes to run away with Norimichi or Yûsuke, whoever wins at the pool.”

July 6th - Na Band Na Baraati (Limited) – Comedy from Pakistan. From imdb.com: “The movie revolves around a typical Pakistani family living in Toronto, Canada. The family is busy in organising a desi wedding for their two sons in Toronto.”

 

[watchthis!!]

I can't recommend Hunky Dory enough. It's a comedy drama musical from 2011 with Minnie Drive as a music/drama teacher and the story is all about the students and all they are going through in their senior year while working to put on a musical version of Shakespeare's The Tempest, using contemporary music (the film is set in the mid 70s). It's a very heart-warming movie, but also has a prickly side to it, as we often see with British movies. Driver is perfect, as is Aneurin Barnard as the young male lead. Why he's not a big star now, I have no idea. Plus he has a great singing voice, so I'm not sure why he's not a big pop star as well. I see that Barnard has third billing in the movie Dunkirk, maybe I should check that out.

Trailer for Hunky Dory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csI-v0FfZFM

 

[Wyliefan]

I can't seem to find the tweet. Could you write why

Spoiler

she opted not to participate?

Spoiler

I don't think I found her original tweet, but from what I could find online from her, I gather that she thinks he got too much credit for the show's success, and others got too little. Is that the impression you got as well, @Seerek?

 

[Seerek]

Yes, @Wyliefan that was my impression too.

Spoiler

You'll notice that outside of Betty Aberlin, there is no footage of any of the other cast members who weren't interviewed in the documentary. Surprising to me was the lack of substantial recognition of pianist Johnny Costa.

As a whole, Betty Aberlin has voiced her disappointment in what she believes is money grabbing during the PBS 50th anniversary year (not only the WYBMY? documentary, but also the Tom Hanks Mr. Rogers film, plus the PBS Special 'It's You I Like' from March). She isn't even keen on cartoon spin off Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.

I do get her point about PBS using Fred Rogers 90th birthday/50th anniversary of MRsN as a key 'pledge break' opportunity, but it is what it is - hopefully the cast is getting appropriate residuals.