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

Which Of These Movies Grabs Your Interest?

  • Jan. 15th - The 5th Wave - Sci-fi with Chloë Grace Moretz, Liev Schreiber, Maria Bello

    Votes: 15 31.9%
  • Jan. 29th - Kung Fu Panda 3 - Animated with Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan

    Votes: 4 8.5%
  • Feb. 5th - Hail, Caesar! - Comedy with George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Channing Tatum, Ralph Fiennes

    Votes: 19 40.4%
  • Feb. 5th - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Horror comedy with Lily James, Sam Riley

    Votes: 12 25.5%
  • Feb. 12th - Zoolander 2 - Comedy with Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor, Will Ferrell

    Votes: 14 29.8%
  • March 18th - The Divergent Series: Allegiant – Adventure with Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel El

    Votes: 9 19.1%
  • March 25th - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Adventure with Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck

    Votes: 17 36.2%
  • March 25th - My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 – Romantic comedy with Nia Vardalos, John Corbett

    Votes: 12 25.5%
  • Apr. 15th - The Jungle Book – Adventure with Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Ny

    Votes: 12 25.5%
  • Apr. 22nd - The Huntsman: Winter's War - Fantasy with Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt

    Votes: 12 25.5%

  • Total voters
    47
I watched The Big Short last night, so have now seen all the best picture nominees. And until last night I was prepared to defend Spotlight's win (though I would have deemed Room equally worthy), I now think The Big Short should have won. Just because of its original style.

But all three were excellent, and really it's not a wuzrobbed situation.
 
The 22 Most Anticipated Films Of The 2016 Tribeca Film Festival
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-22-most-anticipated-films-of-the-2016-tribeca-film-festival-20160411

Tribeca 2016 has its share of programming goodies, not the least of which are amazing talks with filmmakers and actors like Baz Luhrmann, Francis Ford Coppola, Jodie Foster, Tom Hanks, Tina Fey, Alfonso Cuaron, Ethan Hawke, Patti Smith, J.J. Abrams with Chris Rock, Michael Cera, Catherine Hardwicke, Joss Whedon, Mark Ruffalo and many, many more.

…and Viola Davis back on the big screen! :cheer:


‘Kong: Skull Island’ First Look: Tom Hiddleston Goes Behind the Scenes of Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ Giant Adventure
http://www.slashfilm.com/kong-skull-island-first-look/

The movie opens next March and co-stars Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman andThomas Mann. It takes place at the same time that 2014’s Godzilla and the two will meet in a 2020 movie. No word on whether they will fight each other.


‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Adds Tessa Thompson, Loses Natalie Portman
http://www.slashfilm.com/thor-ragnarok-tessa-thompson/

In addition to Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as Hulk … the film is also expected to feature the returns of Tom Hiddleston‘s Loki … and a new character played by Cate Blanchett to boot. Now it’s added yet another exciting talent to the cast: Tessa Thompson, who broke out last year with Creed. Unfortunately, that good news comes with a side of bad news. We’ve also learned that Natalie Portman is not returning as Dr. Jane Foster.
 
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Adds Tessa Thompson, Loses Natalie Portman
http://www.slashfilm.com/thor-ragnarok-tessa-thompson/
I'm more disappointed that this means that Kat Dennings probably won't be back either. Natalie Portman didn't want to be in the 2nd movie from what I read around the time that Thor: The Dark World started filming. I feel like her lack of a desire to return showed in the 2nd movie. It wasn't one of her better performances.

Tessa Thompson is great, I've been a fan of hers since Veronica Mars. She didn't get a lot to do but she definitely made the most of it.
 
I would also recommend 'Grandma' w/ Lily Tomlin. I saw it about a month ago and it hit all the right notes: Funny w/ that unique Lily Tomlin humor, but also poignant and responsible when it needs to be. Marcia Gay Harden is great as her daughter
 
Natalie Portman didn't want to be in the 2nd movie from what I read around the time that Thor: The Dark World started filming. I feel like her lack of a desire to return showed in the 2nd movie. It wasn't one of her better performances.
She sucked in the first Thor movie as well.

Actually, she's not all that good an actress period :shuffle:.
 
I watched The Big Short last night, so have now seen all the best picture nominees. And until last night I was prepared to defend Spotlight's win (though I would have deemed Room equally worthy), I now think The Big Short should have won. Just because of its original style.

But all three were excellent, and really it's not a wuzrobbed situation.

I've seen 5 of the 8 so far (Room is still high on my list to watch, but no intention to watch either The Revenant or Mad Max). I originally would have picked The Big Short for the same reason, but I saw Brooklyn last weekend and it was the one that really touched me. I felt like both were substantially stronger than Spotlight, which was well done but almost too straightforward if that makes sense.
 
Weekend Domestic Chart for April 8th, 2016

Melissa McCarthy kicked Superman's butt!! :lol: But just barely, only $200,000 more in box office for the weekend. It's probably been a long time since there was such a close race for the top spot. Both movies took in about 23.5 million. Then Zootopia and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 staying relatively healthy in their sixth and third weeks of release. Hardcore Henry rounded out the top five with five million, it played at a healthy 3,015 theatres where it made a pitiful $1,694 per theatre. Major bomb! :eek:

An equally bad per theatre average for Jake 's "Demolition", which debuted at #15, making just over one million at 854 theatres where it made only $1,286 per theatre. With such a low per-theatre average, I doubt this one will be expanding into more theatres in the upcoming weeks. But a movie about a guy who goes around physically demolishing stuff (including his home) as a way of grieving the loss of his wife? Who thought that would be a good idea??
 
She sucked in the first Thor movie as well.

Actually, she's not all that good an actress period :shuffle:.
I've been a fan of hers for years, but her performances in the 2 Thor movies did disappoint me just in that she didn't seem to be trying. The Thor movies did really cement how much I like Kat Dennings, although I will not watch 2 Broke Girls the writing is just ridiculous. I have been finding myself more annoyed by Natalie Portman recently though as opposed to enjoying her acting like I used too. I find it hard to respect someone who doesn't seem to try if they are doing a movie that they are probably only doing for the money. I mean Alec Guiness hated Star Wars but it didn't stop him from putting in a good performance in the movie.

I just finished a streak of night shifts as work and things have been kind of crazy lately so I wanted something light and fun to watch, so I watched You've Got Mail tonight. It was probably the first Rom/Com that wasn't from Old Hollywood that I ever saw and it involves book related things so I've always had a lot of fondness for it.

I'm going to watch the first three Indiana Jones movies for the first time in years next. As much as I love Cate Blanchett I prefer to continue pretending the fourth movie doesn't exist so I'll find something else to watch after that. Maybe the pile of TCM box sets I stole from my parents. Then I can give them their movies back :lol:.
 
Okay, I just watched Inherent Vice. It was confusing and I admit I have been sleepy all day long because of my stupid sinuses so I need to watch it again. There was something that surprised me and that is usually I find Joaquin Phoenix remote, even in character. But that was not the case tonight. I thought he was terrific though I'm still not exactly sure about the details of his investigation. And the leading lady is the leading lady in the new J.K. Rowling offering and she was excellent as well. Her name is Katherine Waterston. (I think) Interesting film...need to watch it again.


In some ways Waterston, Larson and Vikander kind of remind me of one another. These winsome beauties who can knock your socks off with their performances and all emerging at the same time. And Larson and Vikander already have Oscars....
 
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I'm more disappointed that this means that Kat Dennings probably won't be back either. Natalie Portman didn't want to be in the 2nd movie from what I read around the time that Thor: The Dark World started filming. I feel like her lack of a desire to return showed in the 2nd movie. It wasn't one of her better performances.

I thought Thor 2 sucked. But more because of pacing and tone (too much comedy, not enough time given for the serious moments) instead of any one actor though. So I'm more worried about the choice of director. I'm not familiar with Taika Waititi, but looking at his IMDB it looks like he does mostly comedy? :scream:
 
I think I am gonna try to stay away from anymore Captain America: Civil War clips until the movie comes out. :shuffle:
 
I'm more disappointed that this means that Kat Dennings probably won't be back either. Natalie Portman didn't want to be in the 2nd movie from what I read around the time that Thor: The Dark World started filming. I feel like her lack of a desire to return showed in the 2nd movie. It wasn't one of her better performances.

Tessa Thompson is great, I've been a fan of hers since Veronica Mars. She didn't get a lot to do but she definitely made the most of it.

Really liked Thompson in Dear White People although I do wonder if this means they are letting go of Jane altogether. Interesting.
 
The movie to see this week - and maybe this summer - is Disney's "The Jungle book". It's running 100% so far on RT from 43 critics.
 
I saw Bridge Of Spies. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good! I had never seen Mark Rylance in anything, so it was a delight to see him in this as my introduction to him. He got all the attention in the media, but if he didn't have somebody like Tom Hanks to play off, I'm not sure if the movie would have worked as well. Brilliantly directed by Spielberg as well. But now I want a sequel about Rylance`s character after what happens in this movie! :D
 
^ Ooooh, I'm all a-tingle!

Between that and Fantastic Beasts, November is shaping up nicely. But so far away!

I know..my favorite months are always Oct, Nov and Dec and the holidays within those dates. And then there is the richness of film offerings during this period. I think those are the months when I sometimes feel like a kid in a candy shop for many reasons and anticipated films are near the top of the list of reasons.
 
Not a great week for new movies. :( Only The Jungle Book looks worthy of adding to my To See List. Although Rio, I Love You will be one that might go one my list with a recommendation or two from any of you who do see it! :) And I wanted to like Green Room, but the trailer didn't convince me to add it to my list...


Apr. 15th - The Jungle Book – Family adventure fantasy with Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Esposito and Bill Murray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtR9tqPa48s

Apr. 15th – Criminal – Action thriller with Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Alice Eve, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNfRQ4NBjUU

Apr. 15th - Barbershop: The Next Cut - Comedy with Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Nicki Minaj, Regina Hall, Eve and Common
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2tacfpfpE0

April 15th - Rio I Love You (Limited) – Comedy drama with Emily Mortimer, Rodrigo Santoro, Ryan Kwanten [True Blood], Vanessa Paradis, John Turturro and Harvey Keitel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx6ZgEB3jJc

Apr. 15th- Green Room (Limited, Wide on April 29th) - Crime thriller with Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots and Patrick Stewart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKdVYUXyBzU

April 15th - Our Last Tango (Limited) – Musical documentary. From imd.bom: “The life and love story of Argentina's famous tango dancers Maria Nieves Rego and Juan Carlos Copes, who met as teenagers and danced together for nearly fifty years until a painful separation tore them apart.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9im5e0PZ6o

April 15th - Colonia (Limited) – Historical romance with Emma Watson and Daniel Brühl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBSMl343fsw

April 15th - Sing Street (Limited) – Musical drama. From imdb.com: “A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band and moving to London.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_YqJ_aimkM

April 15th - The Adderall Diaries (Limited) – Romantic thriller with Amber Heard, James Franco, Christian Slater, Cynthia Nixon, Wilmer Valderrama and Ed Harri
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irO4pXqiopY

April 15th - Hostile Border (Limited) – Drama. From imdb.com: “Raised in the U.S., Claudia (22) is an undocumented illegal immigrant living beyond her means in a twisted version of the American dream. When she's arrested by the FBI for credit card fraud, Claudia is quickly deported to Mexico.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37faFb5F7pg

April 15th - The First Monday in May (Limited) – Documentary “…about the creation of the 2015 art exhibition China: Through the Looking Glass by curator Andrew Bolton at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.” – imdb.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKhudOjxOBs

April 15th - Paradox – Action drama. From imdb.com: “A group of young scientists are working on a secret project that may allow them to travel ahead in time. They test it by sending one of their own ahead one hour. He returns pleading with them to shut it down, explaining that within that hour, they will all die.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4FTJN7jqiU
 
Although Rio, I Love You will be one that might go one my list with a recommendation or two from any of you who do see it!

Hmm, that's a maybe for me. Paris Je T'Aime was amazing, but New York I Love You was a bust. So it's anyone's guess for this one.
 
Last weekend I saw Batman Vs. Superman. This is the longest I've taken to post about a movie I saw in the theatre. Maybe because I ended up having a shitty day, the shittiness starting with this movie. It's a perfect looking movie, the technicians involved are all at the top of their game. Maybe I'll start with what I liked about it:

1. While Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Lex Luthor is up and down, when he's on, he does a great job. Especially when he's going to head to head with the phenomenal Holly Hunter. I would argue that Hunter does the best acting of everyone in this movie. Unfortunately, her part is way too small. Another bonus is how wonderful she looks. I just checked to see how old she was, thought she was around my age (52), but she's 58! Whoa!

2. I think Gal Gadot is a good choice for Wonder Woman. I think she'll do a good job of carrying her own movie.

Okay, so the only good things about a movie about a bunch of guys is...the women. :lol: I did feel that Batman Vs. Superman did show men at their worst. Violent, stubborn, uncommunicative, uncaring, self-absorbed. I think if aliens were to watch this movie to decide whether the human species/planet should be saved, their response would be, "Nuke 'em". The whiny battle between these two men is basically, "you're stupid! no, YOU'RE stupid...well you're stupider!!!" Batman is unhappy about the death count...and then is involved in such destruction...some of the worst examples I've seen on film, really horrific. It's like when you see photos of peacekeepers with all this weaponry around them. Ugh.

I knew Wonder Woman wouldn't play much of a role in this movie, so I expected her to not be seen much until the end. But
crappy thing after shitty thing happens...and we see her banking...shopping...riding the subway. FINALLY after MUCH destruction and death occurring, she decides, "hmm...maybe I'll do something". After the movie I joked to my friend, "....just like a woman to show up late!" :lol:

I could gripe some more, but those are the complaints that have stuck with me. Although I should say that the talents of Academy Award winners/nominees Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, Jeremy Irons and
Michael Shannon
are completely wasted and the screenwriters should be ashamed of themselves for not writing at least a speech or two for each of these actors that are even remotely worthy of them.

I bought Gattaca the other day - found it at FYE for $3! Last time I saw it was in high school when my biology teacher was out and the sub didn't feel like doing anything lol, but I remember thinking it was really good. Planning to watch it sometime this week, and hopefully it's as good as I remember it!

Have you watched it yet? This is one of those movies that took me YEARS to getting around watching. So I think I was a bit disappointed because I had built up in my mind what it could be so much. But having seen it a few years ago now, my thought is, "that was a pretty good movie"! :D

‘Me Before You’ Trailer: Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin Are Going to Make You Cry So Hard
Me Before You Trailer: Emilia Clarke & Sam Claflin Will Make You Cry

That looks really good, thanks for posting! :)
 
I watched Remember last night. It was ... well, hard to describe. Christopher Plummer is his usual amazing self, and really the only reason to watch. Because the plot is one convenient contrivance after another.

And then there's the ending.
On the one hand I have to applaud the writer for surprising me so thoroughly, I certainly didn't see that coming. But then I realized that the reason I didn't see it coming was that it was so completely implausible. When you have dementia of that kind there's no way you are a. going to forget recent memories but b. remember who your wife was AND c. forget who and what you were before you were married.
 
I watched The Visit yesterday. Was disappointed in it. I heard that it was M. Night Shyamalan's comeback...and it was (making 100 million worldwide on a five million budget), but I thought it was kind of a mess. It was filmed as if the two teen leads of the movie were making their own documentary, so it had a found-footage kind of feel to it, a filmmaking tactic that I think has run it's course. If instead, the movie was filmed as a straight-ahead psychological thriller, it would have made for a much better movie. Instead we see the teens acting as movie teens (somewhat precocious) instead of watching an interesting story unfold in a scary way. The tone is like a popcorn horror movie for tweens, while it could have been done similarly to Nicole Kidman's The Others. So this was pretty much a waste in every way, although the twist in the story is a great one. Unfortunately it unfolded within a story told in a way that was too light, so the impact didn't affect me as much as it would have if the story was told in a more traditional way.

Here's the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfQnRjkuvaY
 
Interesting info about "Before I Wake" at Wikipedia. It's the pre-"Room" movie featuring Jacob Tremblay (along with Thomas Jane and Kate Bosworth):

The film was originally scheduled to be released on May 8, 2015, but was pushed back to September 25, 2015, and was pulled from the scheduled due to the company filing for bankruptcy. The film was re-scheduled to April 8, 2016. On March 14, 2016, it was revealed that Kidnap would be the first post-bankruptcy release in August of that year, pushing The Disappointments Room and Before I Wake off the release schedule.

"Kidnap" is a thriller set to come out in May starring Halle Barry (but no other big names). Wonder if the studio was hoping for an Oscar nod (or win) for Tremblay to capitalize on?

And one thing about last week's box office that I didn't mention about this movie:

April 8th - Memoria (Limited) – Drama with Thomas Mann [Me, Early and The Dying Girl] and James Franco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hsKninS1bM

It debuted at #104…playing one theatre, where it made...47 dollars. Gulp! :eek:
 
I see that it's running in Northern America right now (in limited release) so I recommand the animated movie April And The Extraordinary World. :cheer2::cheer2::cheer2:
It seems it is released both in its french-voiced version and its english-voiced version.

It's a fun mainstream adventure movie with steampunk and fun science.
It's Hergé meats Miyazaki, even graphically (it's Tintin meats Sherlock Hound).
With a hint of Edgar P. Jacob.
It is based on Jacques Tardi's work, a multiple awards comics artist.

Back to 1870, Emperor Napoleon III wants a serum of invincibility for his soldiers to start a war against Prussia. A scientist named Gustave Franklin is working on it, experimenting on animals. The serum gives an unexpected result : animals are not invincible but they can talk. Angry, Napoleon III orders the killing of some "guinea pigs". Things go wrong, the laboratory explodes and Napoleon III dies. His dynasty goes on, renounces the franco-prussian war and shifts the course of History.

From that date, the leading scientists of the whole planet are being mysteriously abducted one afer the other.
Scientific progress stalls.
The world gets stuck in the coal / steam mecanical era.
When coal ressources are exhausted, trees (charcoal) become the most wanted natural ressource.
A war is brewing between the French Empire and the American League for the control of canadian wood ressources as local ressources are exhausted. France, UK and Germany ally.
The scientists who have not been abducted yet are hunted by the Empire to enlist for the preparation of the war.

This is where the plot starts.

In 1931, scientists Prosper and Paul Franklin are hiding from both the Empire's police and the mysterious abducters, and pursuing the work of their father and grandfather Gustave.
But running away from Inspector Pizzoni, Paul and his wife disapear after the cable car they are in is targeted by a mysterious cloud and explodes, leaving their 8yo daughter April behind them, alone.

10 years later, April is a lonely but fearless and independant girl, hiding in a giant napoleonic statue with her talking cat Darwin. She pursues her parents' work as a cure for Darwin's old age but is followed by a police informant and rats with camera goggles. So when she finally succeeds, danger is coming quick.

The art is lovely, the animation is lovely, the story is great.
You have Napoleon V, Victoria II, a giant bridge over the Channel, Paris-Berlin transcontinental cable car with a main station located between twin Eiffel Towers, an hilarious talking male cat (who is "anatomically correct" when he shows his backside :rofl: , the same way that japanese can draw cats in anime), the ultimate serum, goggled rats and pigeons, individual and bicycled aerostats, flying machines, walking machines, a house in a hangar which is sooooo Miyazaki, a Javert-like policeman, a fun grandpa, a smart and romantic petty thief and an audacious heroine.
What more do you want ? ;)
 
Born to Be Blue is not really a biopic more than it is a character study on trumpeter Chet Baker (which has been the stylistic trend lately as far as movies go about famous people).

Ethan Hawke's portrayal makes you believe Baker was very troubled and complex, yet at the same time rather one-dimensional and aloof (since no one could successfully tap into what was the source behind his inner torment - his troubled relationship with his father the best theory).
 
The Official Name of Star Wars Land Revealed?
http://www.slashfilm.com/the-star-wars-experience/

Both Disneyland and the Florida park will have this attraction which will be “…an insanely immersive experience that will bring park guests into the world of Star Wars.”


‘Jason Bourne’ Trailer Teasers Light up a Molotov Cocktail
http://collider.com/jason-bourne-trailer-teasers/

Check out the Jason Bourne trailer teasers below and come back on Thursday to see the full trailer. The film opens July 29th, and also stars Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones, Vincent Cassel, and Julia Stiles.


James Cameron Announces FOUR 'Avatar' Sequels Now in the Works
http://www.firstshowing.net/2016/james-cameron-announces-four-avatar-sequels-now-in-the-works/

The first one will be out in Christmas 2018, the next one in Christmas 2020, and the final two in Christmas 2022 and 2023. This is going to be one crazy epic sci-fi saga going head-to-head against Star Wars. Excited yet?

The article mentions that the first sequel takes place almost entirely underwater. And that the screenwriters Cameron was working with kept coming up with so many good ideas that they decided to make as many movies as the material warranted.
 
I watched two good movies this week. I admit I liked them so much I watched both twice. :)

Effie Gray is an indie movie written by Emma Thompson & starring Dakota Fanning as Euphemia Gray, the young bride of the writer/art critic/artist John Ruskin. The story is from Effie's POV. She finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage with a peculiar workaholic & domineering mother-in-law from hell who encourages him to be the biggest mama's boy of the Pre-Raphaelite era. We might ask how she even gets out of bed in the morning, but Effie is a plucky problem solver who likes to dance & hopes for sunnier days than the morose Ruskin. (The movie doesn't show the happier ending for her later when she married the painter John Everett Millais & they had many children together.) This movie takes its time & is beautifully filmed including gorgeous scenes of Venice & Scotland. The costumes are spectacular & it has a nice soundtrack too.

Brooklyn was reviewed here previously. It also has beautiful costumes & a good soundtrack. The glamorous Megan from Mad Men (Zou Bisou Bisou Jessica Pare) makes an appearance as the equally glamorous Miss Fortini, manager of the store clerks & mentor of Eilis, & Julie Walters (Billy Elliot) is terrific as the boardinghouse landlady Mrs. Kehoe.
 
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