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

[cygnus]

Can’t comment on Harry Potter, but Black Panther was entertaining. Formulaic though. I mean, is the super hero ever not going to come through at the end?

I take it you haven't seen Avengers:Infinity War then? Dark. Of course there will be a sequel that might change things around, but the movie in itself was not exactly happy and uplifting.

 

[PeterG]

Oh and Chris Pratt v Daniel Day Lewis - LOL

LOL is hardly an eloquent argument.

Where Daniel Day-Lewis out-performs Chris Pratt:

1. historical dramas/period pieces

Where Pratt out-performs Day-Lewis:

1. comedy
2. action
3. contemporary drama
4. sci-fi

Plus I have no doubt that in time a fifth genre will be added to the list: romance (whether romantic drama or romantic comedy).

Day-Lewis is simply too limited an actor to even try anything outside of the sub-genre of films where he has so often succeeded. Or casting directors had no faith in Day-Lewis in anything outside of the historical drama genre?

 

[NinjaTurtles]

For an unconventional superhero movie, I suggest Shyamalan's Unbreakable.

 

[VGThuy]

I thought Lewis was excellent in romance in My Beautiful Launderette. I'm not his biggest fan as I think I can really see his method and without a strong director someone to tone it down he can go off the rails, and I still think I see Lewis. But, when I like his performances, I truly love them. I believe his Abraham Lincoln was a performance for the ages and was the only thing that could have beaten Joaquin Phoenix's brilliant turn in The Master. Of course, there is There Will be Blood as well.

I think Chris Pratt does everyman comedy very well and I bet he is hundred times better at it than Lewis would be. His performances in Parks and Rec is one of my favorite comedy performances ever. Also, comedy is hard and underappreciated. But I don't think I could buy him in every genre and although he may fit in various genres easier than Lewis would only because we're so used to see the intense Lewis performance and now we've been conditioned to only see him do that while most of us can't imagine him doing something different or lighter, I don't know if Pratt could do a performance as amazing as Lewis does.

I sort of think versatility is overrated especially if there's no depth.

 

[Jay42]

I thought Lewis was excellent in romance in My Beautiful Launderette. I'm not his biggest fan as I think I can really see his method and without a strong director someone to tone it down he can go off the rails, and I still think I see Lewis. But, when I like his performances, I truly love them. I believe his Abraham Lincoln was a performance for the ages and was the only thing that could have beaten Joaquin Phoenix's brilliant turn in The Master. Of course, there is There Will be Blood as well.

I think Chris Pratt does everyman comedy very well and I bet he is hundred times better at it than Lewis would be. His performances in Parks and Rec is one of my favorite comedy performances ever. Also, comedy is hard and underappreciated. But I don't think I could buy him in every genre and although he may fit in various genres easier than Lewis would only because we're so used to see the intense Lewis performance and now we've been conditioned to only see him do that while most of us can't imagine him doing something different or lighter, I don't know if Pratt could do a performance as amazing as Lewis does.

I sort of think versatility is overrated especially if there's no depth.

Honestly, Chris Pratt was at his most believable in Parks & Rec. I don't like him in anything else I've seen him in. I've seen Daniel Day-Lewis in one movie, Nine, which wasn't a great movie, but I did think Lewis was good in it. I'm just super slack on actually looking for any of his other movies at the moment because I am watching 3 tv shows at once right now and it's a lot.

 

[PeterG]

Saw Mission Impossible: Fallout today. Thought it was a really well made movie, but I guess I'm tiring of this series. A big part of me being in my seat was the free air-conditioning. (Will definitely have to get an air conditioner next spring.) So for the middle part of the movie, I ended up playing games on my phone, like I did with Skyscraper.

I saw "Mission Impossible: Fallout" today. Great action sequences, and Henry Cavill is even with that horrible beard. Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames still make fun sidekicks and well... Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise. I have enjoyed all the "MI" films, but they've never been anything I've gone back and rewatched. Therefore I freely admit I didn't really even remember much about the Sean Harris villain. It didn't stop me from enjoying my afternoon with a ridiculously crazy espionage movie though.

Agree about Cavill, props to his tailor for the wondrous form-fitting outfits. Cavill's beard (scruff) I was fine with, but the pornstache...the jury's still out.

I thought Tom Cruise was fine, I liked that he has 6' 1" Cavill starring with his 5' 8" self. Mind you, they didn't really have scenes with the two standing side by side, so the height difference wasn't so obvious to whoever watches this movie. And I liked how Cruise's character goofs up and has to work his behind off to make up for where he went wrong.

Saw the new Mission Impossible today. It kept me awake.

Did you need the aid of games on your phone to remain in an awake state?

I saw Mission Impossible yesterday. I really enjoyed it, a perfect action crazy movie for the summer.
As much as Tom Cruise is controversial, one thing he does over and over again - he is involved with good movies and lets the other actors shine.
One thing I really enjoyed in this movie and can not remember from the others, the music, especially during the action scenes, or scenes leading up to action, was very effective and added to the mood.

I also thought that the soundtrack was very strong. Very effective and moody at time, making you feel on the edge of your seat at times. Plus the theme music was done in a cool percussion-y kind of way that made the song feel almost new.

I agree that Cruise definitely surrounds him by the best in every field of the movie-making process.

...I saw the "Mission Impossible" flick yesterday. As action films goes it was jam-packed...

Because I've seen so many movies lately, I've seen the featurette on the skydiving bit of the movie about three times now, starting to get sick of it. But this scene in the movie was so good, I was starting to feel anxious as the scene went on. Plus the nightclub scene was definitely phenomenal. There might have been some other scenes worth mentioning, but at two and a half hours in length for the movie, I did zone out a bit in the middle...but played an exciting game on my phone!

 

[peibeck]

@PeterG As a side note, one of my coworkers is a former Air Force pilot who flew the type of plane that Cruise and Cavill leap from over Paris in the new "Mission Impossible". Apparently they aren't very many of those planes, and he has flown them all (they mainly are used for large transport and would never really be used for a mission like this, he said). He said they did a lot of CGI to the interior as well. State secrets, I guess.

The plot was actually pretty nonsensical, but you go to a film like "MI" for the action sequences, and those were a lot of fun. I don't really enjoy flying, but the helicopter sequence at the end left me wanting to never ride in one of those babies.

 

[peibeck]

Day-Lewis is simply too limited an actor to even try anything outside of the sub-genre of films where he has so often succeeded. Or casting directors had no faith in Day-Lewis in anything outside of the historical drama genre?

I fell in love with Daniel Day Lewis in his first major film role as a gay thug in "My Beautiful Laundrette," which was both funny, contemporary and romantic. "In the Name of the Father" was also a more contemporary film he did, as well as "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" (although not a very good one).

Chris Pratt is more a "Hollywood" actor, where box office is everything. Where as I think Day Lewis chooses his roles for the acting challenge.

 

[allezfred]

LOL is hardly an eloquent argument.

It's what such a LUDICROUS statement deserves.

Feel free to keep smoking the crack though.

 

[PeterG]

It's what such a LUDICROUS statement deserves.

Feel free to keep smoking the crack though.

I can't stop ever since you got me hooked!!

 

[Cachoo]

I'm not sure how I feel about an Oscar category for popular film. I guess I am a snob but if the Transformers 13 wins one I think that somehow diminishes the award.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

I fell in love with Daniel Day Lewis in his first major film role as a gay thug in "My Beautiful Laundrette," which was both funny, contemporary and romantic. "In the Name of the Father" was also a more contemporary film he did, as well as "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" (although not a very good one).

Chris Pratt is more a "Hollywood" actor, where box office is everything. Where as I think Day Lewis chooses his roles for the acting challenge.

This discussion reminds me of the classic Hollywood days where someone like Paul Muni, who immersed himself into every role with lots of makeup and played a wide variety of parts, was considered a much better "actor" than Cary Grant or Clark Gable, who for the most part used the same "persona" in their major roles.

If you saw the "Feud: Bette vs. Joan" miniseries recently, the same contrast and argument was made regarding their 2 film careers and acting styles - although so many of Bette Davis's films were huge box-office successes and Joan Crawford was on a late 1930's list of stars who were considered "Box Office Poison", which also included among others Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Fred Astaire and Katharine Hepburn.

More recently I suppose the same argument could be made about the careers of, say, Robert De Niro and Robert Redford.

 

[watchthis!!]

Quiz: Guess The Song From Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
http://www.bigtop40.com/features/quizzes/mamma-mia-quiz/

They give you a random line from a song, then give you three song titles and you have to choose the right one. I got 6/10. How about you?

 

[annie720]

Did you need the aid of games on your phone to remain in an awake state?

nah, I only go to theaters that throw out patrons if they use their phone.

 

[PeterG]

nah, I only go to theaters that throw out patrons if they use their phone.

I always sit in the back row to the side. So hopefully nobody even notices. I did look over to some people sitting in the middle of the back row, they didn't seem to notice me. I was directing the phone to the wall and the game I played was all black screen except for the colored circles of the game.

I actually don't like using my phone, so it's only drastic situations where I would resort to using it in a movie theatre. Only once last year with Mother! and twice this year with Skyscraper and MI: Fallout.

Please don't report me.

 

[watchthis!!]

Testament is the 1983 drama about how an American family (and their community) try to deal with their lives after a nuclear attack. Jane Alexander was nominated for an Oscar for best actress in this movie. I thought it was decent. Had a kind of TV movie of the week feel to it though. It felt and looked dated compared to something like E.T. which came out at the same time.

Trailer for Testament: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQJy1465NSU

 

[annie720]

Please don't report me.

Just stay away from my Alamo Drafthouse.

 

[alexikeguchi]

I just got back from Blackkklansman and was extremely impressed. The movie was so well constructed and I think maintained a good balance between the main story and today's context. I didn't even know Denzel Washington had a son who was an actor too, and I wasn't familiar with most of the others either, but I thought the acting was uniformly excellent. I expect this film will win numerous awards due to both the timely subject matter and the quality of the production.

 

[watchthis!!]

Simpsons movie sequel and Family Guy movie on the way
https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/20...movie-sequel-and-family-guy-movie-on-the-way/

2007’s The Simpsons Movie was a commercial and critical success and earned over $500m at the box office.

The article says the The Family Guy movie will mix animation and live action and that there will be a Bob's Burgers movie as well.

 

[MacMadame]

Crazy Rich Asians is coming out soon. We've been talking about the book in the book thread. Not sure I should also post it there but it is about the movie, not the book:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...m_term=.15d2cf55d1de&wpisrc=nl_aboutus&wpmm=1

It's an interesting article because sometimes I get annoyed when advances are made and people's response is: but it's not enough/perfect. The article veers towards that but doesn't cross the line IMO.

 

[Jay42]

The thing is that if movies like Crazy Rich Asians aren’t successful then movies that show a greater variety of perspectives from Asian stories won’t happen. The end of that article is absolutely right. It’s why it’s such a big deal when movies with female leads are successful. If people don’t go to the movies then more movies like it won’t happen.

 

[PeterG]

There was a story on the news a week or two ago about the movie posters for Crazy Rich Asians being vandalized. It was suggested that was due to properties being purchased in Vancouver as investments by wealthy people living in various Asian countries and then leaving the properties empty while there's a housing shortage for people who do live here. Not that this makes it any less racist, but it makes me concerned about how well the movie will do. Has anyone heard of posters being vandalized in any other cities?

 

[VGThuy]

Crazy Rich Asians is coming out soon. We've been talking about the book in the book thread. Not sure I should also post it there but it is about the movie, not the book:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...m_term=.15d2cf55d1de&wpisrc=nl_aboutus&wpmm=1

It's an interesting article because sometimes I get annoyed when advances are made and people's response is: but it's not enough/perfect. The article veers towards that but doesn't cross the line IMO.

I thought the article was extremely fair and balanced in spotting various critiques, respecting it, but then also providing rational answers to those critiques.

 

[PeterG]

Trailers For Movies Released 2018-08-17th
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuI4-fSHhipQ5hLgG5QuILjpag8OlzOYc


August 15th - Crazy Rich Asians (Wide) – Romantic comedy with Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina and Ken Jeong

August 17th - Mile 22 (Wide) – Action thriller with Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohan [The Walking Dead], Ronda Rousey, Peter Berg, Terry Kinney and John Malkovich

August 17th - The Wife (Limited) – Drama with Glenn Close, Christian Slater, Max Irons, Elizabeth McGovern and Jonathan Pryce

August 17th - Alpha (Wide) – Adventure drama with Kodi Smit-McPhee

August 17th - Juliet, Naked (Limited) – Musical comedy drama with Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke and Chris O'Dowd

August 17th - Billionaire Boys Club (Limited) – Drama with Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Taron Egerton, Emma Roberts, Jeremy Irvine, Billie Lourd [American Horror Story] and Judd Nelson

August 17th - Songwriter (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “See pop sensation Ed Sheeran in a whole new way with this documentary following the king of the charts during his time creating the 2017 album 'Divide' during a year away from the world.”

August 17th - Down a Dark Hall (Limited) – Fantasy horror with AnnaSophia Robb and Uma Thurman

August 17th - The Little Mermaid (Limited) – Adventure fantasy with a new cast with Shirley MacLaine and Gina Gershon

August 17th - Benched (Limited) – Sports drama with Garret Dillahunt [The Mindy Project] and John C. McGinley

August 17th - Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (Limited) – Horror with Thomas Lennon [The Odd Couple], Michael Paré and Charlyne Yi [House]

August 17th - To all the Boys I’ve Loved Before (Limited - Netflix) – Romance with a new cast & John Corbett. From imdb.com: “A teenage girl's secret love letters are exposed and wreak havoc on her love life.”

August 17th - Breaking and Exiting (Limited) – Comedy with a new cast, directed by Peter Facinelli. From imdb.com: “Harry, a charming house thief, gets more than he bargains for during an attempted burglary when he stumbles upon Daisy and decides to save her from herself, sending both of them into a darkly comedic journey of self discovery and love.”

August 17th - A Whale of a Tail (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “The camera delves into the lives of local whalers, global activists and an American journalist in the "whale and dolphin killing town" of Taiji, Japan, revealing not everything is as black and white as it seems.”

August 17th - Dr. Brinks and Dr. Brinks (Limited) – Comedy drama with a new cast. From imdb.com: “After husband and wife aid workers die in a plane crash, their grown children are reunited for the first time in years. It takes days for Marcus and Michelle Brinks to sort through the incomprehensible paperwork of their globe-trotting parents' estate. That's just enough time to stir up her own trouble - a fine distraction for the siblings who refuse to face the grief of losing parents they hardly knew.”

August 17th - We The Animals (Limited) – Drama with a new cast. From imdb.com: “Manny, Joel, and Jonah tear their way through childhood and push against the volatile love of their parents. As Manny and Joel grow into versions of their father and Manny dreams of escape, Jonah embraces an imagined world all on his own.”

August 17th - Blaze (Limited) – Musical drama with a new cast. From imdb.com: “The life of musician Blaze Foley.”

August 17th - Minding the Gap (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust-Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship.”

August 17th - The Motive (Limited - Netflix) – Comedy drama from Spain. From imdb.com: “A man obsessed with the idea of writing "high literature" starts to cause conflicts around him to write about it.”

August 17th - Memoir of War (Limited) – Historical drama from France. From imdb.com: “Marguerite must navigate through the hardships of the Liberation after losing her husband and starting a relationship with the enemy during the War.”

 

[Buzz]

I want to see Alpha! This movie’s opening day has been postponed so many times! I don’t care if I am the only one in the cinema, I am going to see this movie!

 

[Aussie Willy]

For an unconventional superhero movie, I suggest Shyamalan's Unbreakable.

I thought that was one of the worst movies I have seen. Great direction but terrible script and performances. 2 hours of my life I will never get back.

 

[alexikeguchi]

I want to see Alpha! This movie’s opening day has been postponed so many times! I don’t care if I am the only one in the cinema, I am going to see this movie!

We don't live anywhere near each other, but there will be at least one other person in a cinema somewhere because I want to see it too!

 

[skatesindreams]

I'm enjoying TCM's Summer Under the Stars, as always.

 

[PeterG]

I want to see Alpha! This movie’s opening day has been postponed so many times! I don’t care if I am the only one in the cinema, I am going to see this movie!

Alpha looks like it's going to be really good. I'm looking forward to seeing it as well.

I'm enjoying TCM's Summer Under the Stars, as always.

Reviews, reviews, reviews!! Even if you just say one line about what you thought about the movie overall (and/or) a specific highlight you enjoyed. Or just rate each movie out of ten. I'll take anything!

I thought that was one of the worst movies I have seen. Great direction but terrible script and performances. 2 hours of my life I will never get back.

Unbreakable is my #15 most favourite movie of all time.

 

[VGThuy]

Got tickets to see Crazy Rich Asians tonight. Husband and I were going to wait to the weekend where we're planning on seeing with a group, but I just couldn't wait. I'll let you guys know what I think as someone who read the book and who is probably the chief demographic for the film.