Let’s Talk Movies! #31: Pandas, Zombies, Male Models, Superheroes, Greeks and…Caesar!

[PeterG]

The Godfather...finally got around to watching it. The disc from the library didn't work on my DVD player, so I had to get my old portable player out of storage, figure out how to hook it up to my spare TV and...it all worked! The thing that stood out to me most about the movie was the perfectly leisurely pace of the director in telling the story. And by leisurely, I don't mean slow...although it slowed down when that was required. It made me think of a great storytime where the storyteller knows exactly how to go about sharing the story so that you're always drawn in regardless of whether things are quiet or hectic or somewhere in between. The second thing that stood out about The Godfather is that Al Pacino can act. Pacino has been overacting for so long that I had no idea he was capable of underplaying a role and bringing subtlety to a performance. So that was wonderful to see. His looking quite handsome was just a bonus! Now I have to duck so as to prepare for the reaction from @Xela M in that as much as I enjoyed the movie, it won't be going on my list of my Top 100 movies of all time. And the DVD set had all three movies of the trilogy, but I didn't watch part two. It had a hold on it for somebody else, so I returned it. :ack:

Joseph Fiennes To Play Michael Jackson In 9/11 Road Trip Drama
https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/post/138156477601/joseph-fiennes-to-play-michael-jackson-in-911

I think with Fiennes as Jackson, Brian Cox as Brando, and Stockard Channing as Taylor, this could be a lot of fun...even though at first glance it looks destined for hot mess-dom!

I'm definitely interested in seeing this one, but whether it will be good might depend very much on the writer and director. I checked the credits for both and I don't recognize any of the TV series that director Ben Palmer has done and the writer Neil Forsyth has only a few credits to his name. So who knows what will happen. But I'll be watching!!

Sometimes I don't know about the choices HBO makes regarding films they choose to broadcast. "Unfriended" could have been called "Unwatchable." Maybe my teenaged niece would enjoy it but I thought it was a waste to two hours. Oh well...live and learn.

I thought the premise was great, this might be the first "virtual movie". But it was like filming a stage play live and airing it in a movie theatre. You have to take people out of the confined space to give the audience a break and then when you go back into the confined space, the sense of claustrophobia will be even greater. Unfriended was made on a tiny budget if I remember correctly, and given the premise my expectations were relatively low. So that made it easier for me to enjoy it for what it did rather than be bothered by all the things it wasn't.

 

[Xela M]

The Godfather...finally got around to watching it. The disc from the library didn't work on my DVD player, so I had to get my old portable player out of storage, figure out how to hook it up to my spare TV and...it all worked! The thing that stood out to me most about the movie was the perfectly leisurely pace of the director in telling the story. And by leisurely, I don't mean slow...although it slowed down when that was required. It made me think of a great storytime where the storyteller knows exactly how to go about sharing the story so that you're always drawn in regardless of whether things are quiet or hectic or somewhere in between. The second thing that stood out about The Godfather is that Al Pacino can act. Pacino has been overacting for so long that I had no idea he was capable of underplaying a role and bringing subtlety to a performance. So that was wonderful to see. His looking quite handsome was just a bonus! Now I have to duck so as to prepare for the reaction from @Xela M in that as much as I enjoyed the movie, it won't be going on my list of my Top 100 movies of all time. And the DVD set had all three movies of the trilogy, but I didn't watch part two. It had a hold on it for somebody else, so I returned it. :ack:

Well, if you weren't crazy about Part I, I doubt you would have liked Part II. Not on the 100 top movies of all time list? That's just nuts! Sorry, but it's nuts. What didn't you like about it?

 

[PeterG]

I liked everything about it, really. Tough to determine whether Brando gave a good performance or not because that performance has been the subject of SO many parodies, I can't determine if it's great work or the original parody... Diane Keaton (gratefully) grew as an actress. I'd say her performance was the only weak link of the movie. Why it didn't end up on my list is partly because I'm not really into anti-hero movies. My guess is the movies on my list are pretty much all about what boils down to the lead characters being "the good guys" (or "the good gals" - Thelma and Louise won't be on my list!). Also, I've seen so many movies that the competition becomes really difficult to make it onto my list. I have 70 movies on my list and over 100 more to look over, all of which I rated "10" at imdb.com. Does The Godfather take the #1 spot on your personal list?

 

[Cachoo]

I like Peter's point about a film being told slowly and, in unraveling slowly, is told well. I see so many films of the 70's this way when the studio system had broken down somewhat and filmmakers were doing it their way. Would a studio of the 50's ever allowed the long, long wedding scenes in "The Deerhunter?" I think those scenes were pivotal in showing us the town, the characters, America at that time and a sort of warning of what was yet to come. I thought it was great movie making and I could see a power-hungry studio head making awful cuts to the film because he thought the scenes were too long and taking too much time. "The Godfather" just lets you drink in a time and place and the importance of the immigrant experience in America. I think it resonated so well because so many people can relate to that. It didn't matter that my gran's family came from Poland. She could still feel the importance of family and tradition in watching that film. It was a shared experience for her.

 

[Xela M]

Would a studio of the 50's ever allowed the long, long wedding scenes in "The Deerhunter?"

Omg, I hated that wedding scene in "The Deerhunter" so much. It felt like the editor just fell asleep and there were random people on screen for 40 minutes without any explanation as to who these people were or why we are being shown this. If you like the wedding scene in "The Deerhunter", I recommend "Heaven's Gate" by the same director. The introductory scenes actually go on for 2 hours and you are just being shown a graduation ceremony for what feels like eternity which then has no bearing on the 55 plotlines still to come.

 

[Xela M]

Does The Godfather take the #1 spot on your personal list?

Yes!

Followed by "Goodfellas" (which I'm guessing is not to your taste since none of the characters are good?)

 

[Cachoo]

Omg, I hated that wedding scene in "The Deerhunter" so much. It felt like the editor just fell asleep and there were random people on screen for 40 minutes without any explanation as to who these people were or why we are being shown this. If you like the wedding scene in "The Deerhunter", I recommend "Heaven's Gate" by the same director. The introductory scenes actually go on for 2 hours and you are just being shown a graduation ceremony for what feels like eternity which then has no bearing on the 55 plotlines still to come.

Well you certainly would not be alone on that but for me it was of the reasons the movie was great. I know the director has been labeled self-indulgent because of those scenes and the Harvard scenes in "Heaven's Gate." And I need to watch "Heaven's Gate" to form an opinion. I feel like they reveal the world in a wonderful way at least in "Deerhunter." I do wonder if you let out a long, exasperated sigh during those scenes Xela.

 

[Xela M]

Well you certainly would not be alone on that but for me it was of the reasons the movie was great. I know the director has been labeled self-indulgent because of those scenes and the Harvard scenes in "Heaven's Gate." And I need to watch "Heaven's Gate" to form an opinion. I feel like they reveal the world in a wonderful way at least in "Deerhunter." I do wonder if you let out a long, exasperated sigh during those scenes Xela.

Hehe, the only reason I did not let out an exasperated sigh was because Christopher Walken looked so terribly handsome in a tux, so I could make my peace with the other hundred people on my screen I didn't know. Plus, Meryl Streep was brilliant as always. That cast made the director look good! He wasn't so lucky in "Heaven's Gate".

 

[Vash01]

Saw 'The lady in the van' today. It was a good mixture of humor and poignancy. I am shocked that Maggie Smith didn't get a best actress Oscar nomination for this, but then nothing about the Oscars should surprise us anymore. From what Lawrence O'Donell described the other day, many Oscar voters don't even watch many of the movies before they cast their votes.

 

[peibeck]

So today I went to the second half of the AMC Best Picture showcase. I saw "Brooklyn," "Spotlight," "The Martian," and "The Revenant."

I was expecting the least from "Brooklyn," but I really enjoyed it. Story-wise I didn't feel it was the strongest movie, but I found the performances beautiful, and also loved the lighting and cinematography. If I was an Oscar voter, Saoirse Ronan would get my nod for Best Actress.

I thought "Spotlight" was good, very well acted (especially Mark Ruffalo) and told the story in a respectful way, both of the journalists and the subject matter. I didn't think it was the most suspenseful or dynamic of the Best Picture nominees, but it really was more "the story behind the story," of a now well known subject. Normally I don't connect with movies which tell a story in a very clinical and distant way like this one does, but I felt the film worked, just not at the top of my list.

"The Martian," I felt, was fine popcorn fare, but overall I felt it was the most commercial and least interesting of all the Best Picture nominees. I guess, like the vastly over-rated "Gravity," I just felt no real mortal terror for the star of the movie despite the crazy and unbelievable situations the movie puts the lead through - which makes the film rather anti-climatic.

And speaking of mortal terror... I have to think "The Revenant" is either the most expensive "art movie" ever made, or the biggest put-on of an "art movie," ever made. Of course, Leonardo DiCaprio will win the Oscar tomorrow for this role, it's the ultimate "suffering for your art" role probably ever put on film. In complete contrast to "The Martian," you know in every frame how much suffering the protagonist is going through, because you not only get the scenery chewing acting of Leo (and even more from Tom Hardy), but you get lots of loving close-ups of all the mauling, bone-crunching, knivings, etc. It's all very epic and Oscar like, I guess, and I realize the film is based upon an actual person, but the over-the-top enhancement of the story (making it a revenge saga rather than an tale of survival) really doesn't help it much, in my opinion.

Anyway, my rankings of the Best Picture Nominees:

1. The Big Short
2. Room
3. Bridge of Spies
4. Brooklyn
5. Spotlight
6. The Revenant
7. Mad Max
8. The Martian

 

[Vash01]

I have no plans to see The Revenant and Mad Max. Out of the remaining BP nominees, here is my ranking:

1.Room (clearly the best IMO)
2.Spotlight (tie)
2.Bridge of spies (tie)
4.Brooklyn (weak story, but everything else good)
5.The Big Short (great topic but it didn't really gain momentum for me until the second half)
6.The Martian (vastly overrated)

I would have liked to see The Danish Girl nominated for BP. Alas, it wasn't.

 

[peibeck]

@Vash01 I seem to remember you not feeling comfortable with gruesome scenes, and "The Revenant" has those in abundance.

 

[PeterG]

I saw 1978's The Boys From Brazil recently. I thought it was decent, but felt the direction was somewhat stilted. I was just thinking that maybe the director was intimidated by having actors such as Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, James Mason to direct. But I just checked imdb.com and the movie was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner who also directed Planet of the Apes, Papillon and won an Oscar for Patton. All better movies than The Boys From Brazil in my opinion. Plus I don't want to see Gregory Peck playing a bad guy! I didn't even liked Peck playing a somewhat bad guy in Roman Holiday! Plus Peck isn't great in this. (Didn't think it was possible for Peck to be bad in something.) Olivier is fine, but this certainly wasn't his finest moment and I don't care that he got an Oscar nomination for this performance! I recommend skipping this one and checking out their other work if you are considering seeing this one.

I don't see Lohan in the news anymore. Could it be she has pulled her life together? I hope so. I thought she was a decent actress at one time.

I really like Lohan and I hope she gets her act together because as strange as it might sound, I think she has the talent to have "Oscar winner" written after her name at some point. BUT....right now she has only one project lined up, a movie that's been completed called "The Shadow Within". Nobody famous stars in the movie and nothing the writer or director has done is anything I have heard of. Plus...the imdb.com description of the movie is:

A private investigator must unravel the murder of her uncle while keeping the secret that she is the descendant from a line of werewolves.

Ruh-roh. Don't think this is the one that's going to get her an Academy Award....

High Society is one of my favourite movies of all time. Not on any "best" list, but simply for outright enjoyment. Hard to go wrong with Cole Porter music, but the delivery was spot-on. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and "What a Swell Party" have got to be two of my favourite double-act songs ever. Plus Louis Armstrong ...

I agree that those songs are amazing. But I have to be honest...I first became familiar with these songs from the "Red Hot and Blue" AIDS awareness fundraising CD's that came out in 1990. And these two songs were covered (brilliantly in my opinion) by...

Iggy Pop & Deborah Harry - Well, did you evah

Thompson Twins — Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

(And I prefer these versions....!)

 

[Vash01]

@Vash01 I seem to remember you not feeling comfortable with gruesome scenes, and "The Revenant" has those in abundance.

That's why I am not going to see that movie.

 

[PeterG]

The 31st Independent Spirit Awards were held yesterday. A good year for

Spoiler

Spotlight

. And

Spoiler

non-white

actors! Take THAT,

Spoiler

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

!!!!!!!!!!

 

[watchthis!!]

I saw Sicario the other day and thought it was amazing. Brilliantly directed and a really good script. I would say it's debatable whether Emily Blunt should be up for best actress for her performance. And Benicio Del Toro for supporting actor, although it was quite an understated performance. It will be interesting once I've seen all the nominees for best supporting actor in their movies, because I'm not sure if any of them would be better than what Del Toro did in this movie. Supposedly there is going to be a sequel to this, not sure where they'd go from here, but if they get everybody back from the first movie, then I can't wait to see what they come up with.

 

[Xela M]

I saw Sicario the other day and thought it was amazing. Brilliantly directed and a really good script. I would say it's debatable whether Emily Blunt should be up for best actress for her performance. And Benicio Del Toro for supporting actor, although it was quite an understated performance. It will be interesting once I've seen all the nominees for best supporting actor in their movies, because I'm not sure if any of them would be better than what Del Toro did in this movie. Supposedly there is going to be a sequel to this, not sure where they'd go from here, but if they get everybody back from the first movie, then I can't wait to see what they come up with.

I have't seen Sicario, but I can bet my house and contents on Del Toro's performance being more deserving of a nomination than Stallone's!

 

[MacMadame]

Ruh-roh. Don't think this is the one that's going to get her an Academy Award....

Baby steps, Peter, baby steps.

 

[Allskate]

I saw Sicario the other day and thought it was amazing. Brilliantly directed and a really good script. I would say it's debatable whether Emily Blunt should be up for best actress for her performance. And Benicio Del Toro for supporting actor, although it was quite an understated performance. It will be interesting once I've seen all the nominees for best supporting actor in their movies, because I'm not sure if any of them would be better than what Del Toro did in this movie. Supposedly there is going to be a sequel to this, not sure where they'd go from here, but if they get everybody back from the first movie, then I can't wait to see what they come up with.

I saw Sicario and thought Del Toro was excellent. But, I do think that Rylance was even better. I agree that Emily Blunt did a really good job in a tough role.

 

[Cachoo]

Okay, so may I say now that "The Man From Uncle" wuz robbed??? I know it is not Oscar fodder but I truly enjoyed that film and wish there would be a sequel.

 

[PeterG]

Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension is the final film in the series...I quite liked all the previous ones, but as this one was billed as wrapping up the series and tying it all together and answering all the questions...I was disappointed. I didn't get greater clarity from how the various storylines tied together. It's weird, I always found the other movies effective and scary, maybe the upped the effects and the direction each time enough to keep me interested. But this time it felt like more of the same (which many people felt like halfway through the series). Plus the characters didn't draw me in as much as previous films. Disappointed that a series I liked so much went out with a whimper, IMHO.

Has anyone seen the movie W.E.?

I'm late in responding to your post...have you seen it already? I saw it a few years back and thought it was fine. Somewhat unfocussed and rambling if I'm remembering correctly. I think Madonna assembled a top-notch cast and crew as the film is perfectly made, it's just her direction (and maybe the script) that I could fault. Maybe since she's known as a control freak, she let the reins loose on this one and let the actors go with how they felt. But I think a stronger hand as a director would have helped the movie.

‘Little House On The Prairie’ To Hit The Big Screen: A New Generation Will Love Laura Ingalls
http://www.inquisitr.com/2754460/little-house-on-the-prairie-to-hit-the-big-screen-a-new-generation-will-love-laura-ingalls/

Not a Little House fan, Buzz? I loved the TV show. Don't think I read any of the books, though. It sounds like there are talented people working on this one, so it has the potential to be really good. Plus if they market it to the people who are making so many Christian movies big hits the last few years, that could help it do well. If it ends up as being as good as I'm hoping, then this could be a film series that I will hopefully will enjoy for a while.

 

[Vash01]

Paranormal Activity:


I'm late in responding to your post...have you seen it already? I saw it a few years back and thought it was fine. Somewhat unfocussed and rambling if I'm remembering correctly. I think Madonna assembled a top-notch cast and crew as the film is perfectly made, it's just her direction (and maybe the script) that I could fault. Maybe since she's known as a control freak, she let the reins loose on this one and let the actors go with how they felt. But I think a stronger hand as a director would have helped the movie.

NO problem Peter. No, I didn't see it. One poster said negative stuff about it, so I am in no hurry to see it. Now that the Oscars season is over, I can catch up on some movies that I was planning to see. I may see W.E. eventually.

 

[Buzz]

I LOVED Little House! I just think they should leave it alone.

 

[dramatheater]

Went to see Deadpool today and I was not impressed. All the talking to the camera, the dirty jokes, the slow motion action (think DREDD), the jumping back and forth in time, the poking fun at the movie studio and other movies constantly just got old fast. I am in no danger of going to see this twice.

cant agree more with that
Me & my audience actually did laugh only 1nce a film. & I suppose that it was designed to be funny!
Reynolds is a bland as always.
No matter how u package he wil always be like that to me Basically a try hard attempt at being original. In the end all that feels very overused to the point its tiring.
1 bright spot was Morena! Too bad she was just used as a girlfriend role. At least this film can give her exposure & new interesting film offers!

Cant wait to see Xmen Apocalipse tho.

 

[Artemis@BC]

Saw 'The lady in the van' today. It was a good mixture of humor and poignancy. I am shocked that Maggie Smith didn't get a best actress Oscar nomination for this, but then nothing about the Oscars should surprise us anymore. From what Lawrence O'Donell described the other day, many Oscar voters don't even watch many of the movies before they cast their votes.

Did it have wide enough release in the US to qualify for 2015?

But yes, if it was eligible, Maggie Smith should definitely have gotten a nomination -- not only was she excellent, it was the type of role the academy seems to favour.

 

[Artemis@BC]

Okay, so may I say now that "The Man From Uncle" wuz robbed??? I know it is not Oscar fodder but I truly enjoyed that film and wish there would be a sequel.

The way they ended it, they certainly set it up for a sequel. But perhaps the disappointing box office means they won't take the risk.

I thought it was a ton of fun, and I'm surprised it didn't do better than it did.

 

[Buzz]

I am soooo excited for the Avengers 2.5 movie opening in May!!! I spoilt myself by reading about the storyline as it appears in the comics and can hardly wait! Wish it could switch opening dates with DC's Batman v Superman movie.

 

[Vash01]

The way they ended it, they certainly set it up for a sequel. But perhaps the disappointing box office means they won't take the risk.

I thought it was a ton of fun, and I'm surprised it didn't do better than it did.

May be Alicia Vikander's name will make the sequel more attractive now.

Someone told me that the reason it didn't do well was they advertised it as an action movie, but t didn't have enough action for those who want constant action (they don't care about subtle humor, apparently). I thought it was one of the best comedies ever. I even bought the DVD.

 

[Vash01]

Did it have wide enough release in the US to qualify for 2015?

But yes, if it was eligible, Maggie Smith should definitely have gotten a nomination -- not only was she excellent, it was the type of role the academy seems to favour.

It got released about 2 weeks ago here, so you may have a point about not having a wide enough release in the USA.

 

[watchthis!!]

Hey, it's about time there was some discussion about race in the movie world!

Zootopia is an Immersive and Timely Toon Noir About Systemic Racism
http://filmschoolrejects.com/reviews/zootopia-review.php

How the review for this movie begins:

The word I most want to use to describe Zootopia is “cute.” But the movie has this running joke where “cute” is sort of a racial slur. The main character, a rabbit named Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), is paid the compliment and replies that only rabbits are allowed to call each other that...

The movie co-stars J. K. Simmons, Idris Elba and Jason Bateman.