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

[VGThuy]

Toy Story 3, in my humble opinion, is a blatant ripoff of The Brave Little Toaster, which came first. Watch that instead.

I enjoy both, but I think TS3 has a lot of differences and it's own ideas to make it more than a rip-off even if both have a junkyard scene in the end. The endings of both are completely different though. I think the premise of the whole TS series is inspired by the Brave Little Toaster but again there's a lot of its own things to make it it's own special series. I mean Batman could be seen as a rip-off of Zorro and The Scarlet Pimpernel if we just strip it away to the base idea. I also think the original Pixar people worked on The Brave Little Toaster so maybe a part of it was them ripping themselves off unless the movie is a close adaptation to the book its based on.

 

[canbelto]

I loved all the Toy Story movies. I really grew up on them. First saw them as a teen and now as an adult. I think the movies are good for kids but it really resonates with adults as well. Growing up, leaving home, moving on, lost friendships ...

 

[cocotaffy]

I just discovered this interesting youtube channel Omeleto, which posts award winning short films. I stumbled upon this one with Maisie Williams and decided to check out the channel to finally end up subscribing. Lots of small treasures in there, this one is quite funny and an interesting take on our multicultural societies.

 

[Vash01]

I saw ‘To kill a mockingbird’ on a Netflix dvd. Really liked the second half, and it was really great toward the end. First half was too much about the kids. Although it was necessary to connect with later parts of the movie, it could have been shortened a bit. JMO. I guess the movie followed the book. I had read the readers digest version eons ago. Should read the original when I have the time.

The acting was superb, and not just by Gregory Peck. The children were really good too.

The most interesting parts were the extras on the dvd- Peck’s speeches at the Oscars (acceptance- best actor award), and at AFI (pretty long speech), part of a tribute by his daughter (memorial), and ‘Scout remembers’- a grown up Mary Badham, who plays the 6 year old Scout in the movie, shares her memories of acting in it. Fascinating stuff.

 

[Kruss]

I saw ‘To kill a mockingbird’ on a Netflix dvd. Really liked the second half, and it was really great toward the end. First half was too much about the kids. Although it was necessary to connect with later parts of the movie, it could have been shortened a bit. JMO. I guess the movie followed the book. I had read the readers digest version eons ago. Should read the original when I have the time.

The acting was superb, and not just by Gregory Peck. The children were really good too.

The most interesting parts were the extras on the dvd- Peck’s speeches at the Oscars (acceptance- best actor award), and at AFI (pretty long speech), part of a tribute by his daughter (memorial), and ‘Scout remembers’- a grown up Mary Badham, who plays the 6 year old Scout in the movie, shares her memories of acting in it. Fascinating stuff.

I grew up on the Reader's Digest version from the age of about 9 up. I read the full version in my middle teens. Trust me, read the full version. It'll tie some things together better, although the movie is stellar on its own.

 

[aftershocks]

Has the hoopla around The Current War (Benedict Cumberbatch) been discussed here? It was set to debut in late 2017, but the Weinstein affair led to the film being shelved until it could be purchased by other distributors. Reports say the film is now set to debut in October 2019:

The Current War - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The trailer:

The Current War Official Trailer #1 (2017) Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland Biography Movie HD

The Current War Trailer 1 (2017) Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland Biography Movie HD [Official Trailer]

www.youtube.com

Discussion about the film being released:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF9w1RBOsSU (although this information is not 'current' )

Documentary about Tesla, who played an important role in the real life drama, but his character is supposedly sidelined in the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cidg4Xfpjmc

Unfortunately, Edison is apparently being cast as a hero when although he was smart, creative, and a worthy inventor, he also managed to steal the inventions of others and take all the credit. The truth of that story is yet to be fully told.

 

[watchthis!!]

Cold Skin is a very entertaining movie about a meteorologist and lighthouse keeper stationed on a remote island in the South Atlantic for one year over the course of the winter months. But it's not just the two of them on this island. Wikipedia labels the movie as a sci-fi horror movie, but it's also a thriller, an action movie and a psychological drama. Very intriguing story and that you can't help but think about over the next few days after first seeing it. I loved it.

Trailer for Cold Skin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yPqnfF7oKY

 

[aftershocks]

Recent new movie trailers... 24+ minutes, including Ford vs Ferrari, Bottom of the 9th, Ad Astra, After the Wedding, et al. A list of the trailers with time stamps is included: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_4y09FsyFc

 

[allezfred]

Have started watching “Leap Year” starring Amy Adams and it is probably the worst film I have ever seen in my life. Terrible on all levels.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I saw Red Joan last night. Very good and interesting. Worth seeing.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

My local theater is going to show Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet for the National Theatre Live's 10th anniversary on July 8. I couldn't get anyone to go with me but I'm looking forward to watching his version of it.

 

[judiz]

I am having so much fun watching the classic movies that have been showing in the theaters. A few weeks ago I saw the Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind and last week it was Forest Gump and in a few weeks Muppet Movie and Hello Dolly.

 

[Buzz]

Just saw Avengers Endgame rerelease and while the Stan Lee tribute was really nice, not sure the two extra scenes are really worth going back to the cinema for. However I still really enjoyed the movie.

 

[Vash01]

Just got back from seeing ‘Yesterday’. The trailer was great. Movie just ok. It has plenty of positives. Original idea, humor, good acting.

‘Imagine there were no Beatles’.

The lead character Jack, a struggling musician, somehow realizes after an accident that the world he was in had never heard of the Beatles. Their songs somehow come to him and he becomes famous. It is also a love story of Jack (Himesh Patel) and Ellie (Lilly James). It was nice to see a movie about real people, without special effects, fights, superheros. Lilly James looks lovely and Himesh Patel sings the Beatles’ songs well. It was great to hear those songs, even though someone else sang them. Kate McKinnon has a funny role of a manager who wants to make Jack famous and get a big commission. Overall ok. I felt that the trailer was better than the movie. 7/10.

Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) could have done better. It wasn’t bad but some of the humor felt contrived to me. The audience seemed to love it though. Plenty of laughter in the theatre. Look for a Golden Globe nomination in the Comedy & Musical category.

 

[twinsmom]

Your take on Yesterday was completely different from mine. I absolutely loved it. We sat through the credits and sang Hey Jude along with several others in the audience. It was a feel good movie, and I admit I'm a sucker from those.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I just discovered this interesting youtube channel Omeleto, which posts award winning short films. I stumbled upon this one with Maisie Williams and decided to check out the channel to finally end up subscribing. Lots of small treasures in there, this one is quite funny and an interesting take on our multicultural societies.

Thank you so much for posting that. We don't get to see many short films but I can see why that one with Maisie won awards. That was really beautiful. Will have a look at the others.

 

[Kasey]

Went and saw "Yesterday". It was cute, sweet, and a pleasant enough 2 hours at the movies. Nothing special and not a movie I'd go to see a second time, but decent enough.

 

[Vash01]

These are pretty easy, but it's fun to do well on a quiz rather than ending up with four out of ten.

Quiz: Do you know the quotes from these Oscar-nominated films?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/100901027/quiz-the-oscars-do-you-know-the-quotes-from-these-oscarnominate-films

I got 9 out of 10 for this one. But I deserve a bonus point for figuring out for the that "Darkest Horse" is actually "Darkest Hour".


Quiz: How well do you know the 2018 Oscar nominations?
http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/quiz-how-well-do-you-know-the-2018-oscar-nominations/article22521051.ece

Only got eight on this one. There's a couple of slightly trickier ones later in the quiz.




I haven't seen Disney's live action remakes of their animated movies, but I found this information on the wikipedia page for last year's Beauty and the Beast:

Ewan McGregor plays a candelabra

Stanley Tucci plays a harpsichord

Ian McKellen plays a mantel clock

Emma Thompson plays a teapot

So however these actors played these inanimate objects, I'm guessing that's how James Earl Jones, Beyoncé and Seth Rogen will play animals.

I got 8/10 in the first and 6/10 in the second quiz.

 

[Japanfan]

I got 8/10, but mostly by guessing, as I've not seen all of the films.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Just saw Spider-Man: Far From Home. Overall, pretty good even though the story was a tad too cute at times.

Just make sure you stay and watch through all the credits. ALL of them.

 

[Buzz]

Just saw Spider-Man FFH too and LOVED it! Plus those end credits scenes...

 

[judiz]

Just saw Yesterday, it brought back nice memories, my husband and I visited Liverpool two months before he became ill.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I am stuck in a country town in regional Victoria, Australia at the moment that does have a nice local cinema. My friend who I came to visit had a heart attack and I had to take him to hospital on Wednesday. He is now in hospital in Melbourne waiting for a bypass. Staying to look after his dogs until Sunday when his daughter can come from Melbourne to housesit.

Anyway to pass the time, been going to the movies. Saw Secret Life of Pets 2 yesterday and Spidey today. Enjoyed both. I think Tom Holland is probably one of the best Spideys out of the franchise. I thought it was a bit predictable still the characters were really likeable. And while everyone else left the cinema the bit after the credits was worth staying for. Toy Story is on as well so might see that tomorrow.

 

[watchthis!!]

Two documentaries that came out in May which sound very interesting:

Free Trip To Egypt
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHcg9avaQ9M

From google:

Reaching out to the very people who fear him, a Muslim man travels to the United States and offers a diverse group of Americans a free trip to Egypt.

And from the film's website:

Two Cultures. One World. Free Trip to Egypt is a journey into the unknown, a film about the transformational power of human connection, and a remarkable experiment in kindness and empathy.

The second documentary:

The Biggest Little Farm
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0SsZIDJ0O0

From google.com:

A couple are followed through their successes and failures as they work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Saw Toy Story 2 today. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Great story and characters.

 

[Buzz]

Spider-Man FFH is breaking records already. :chee42:

'Spider-Man: Far From Home' breaks record previously held by 'Avengers: Endgame'

Spider-Man: Far From Home was released this past week and already it's broken a record previously held by Avengers: Endgame.

www.nme.com

 

[snoopy]

A movie not breaking any records but still entertaining - Midsommar. Swedish semi horror summer solstice movie. Thought everything in the movie was well done. I generally hate slow movies but the pacing here really worked to let the story unfold naturally. Recommend.

 

[vgerdes]

I just saw Tolkien. Overall I found it quite enjoyable, but it was also uneven. There were parts of it that were riveting, the romance was charming... but there were also parts that dragged a bit. It wasn't a waste of my time, however.

 

[Buzz]

First trailer for Disney’s live action version of Mulan.

Mulan Teaser Trailer #1 (2020) | Movieclips Trailers

Check out the official Mulan Teaser starring Yifei Liu! Let us know what you think in the comments below.► Watch Mulan on FandangoNOW: https://www.fandangono...

m.youtube.com

 

[VGThuy]

First trailer for Disney’s live action version of Mulan.

Mulan Teaser Trailer #1 (2020) | Movieclips Trailers

Check out the official Mulan Teaser starring Yifei Liu! Let us know what you think in the comments below.► Watch Mulan on FandangoNOW: https://www.fandangono...

m.youtube.com

I've been so out of the loop, but on social media, so many are going nuts over the fact they aren't doing a live action scene-by-scene remake of the 1998 animated film. They cut the songs and cut Mushu and changed the love interest. The anger about the love interest I do get. What I don't get is all the anger about the songs and Mushu. I found the songs to be disposable, and even if I liked Mushu, he can definitely be sacrificed for a more serious and action-packed version of Mulan. I'm actually happy Disney is taking a risk by making a live action film different from the animated version unlike the easy and safe cash cows they've done before even if this may not be much of a risk because they're making a movie that would be much more appealing to the large Chinese market.