MacMadame
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We saw Zombieland: Double Tap when we were killing time before going to the airport. I really enjoyed it. It didn't require a lot of thinking and was amusing and sometimes downright funny.
Let's Talk Movies #35 – Sparrows and Panthers and Dinosaurs…Oh My!
- Thread starter PeterG
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I saw Judy today, and was very disappointed. It was slow and boring. Renee Z. Has received rave reviews but I was not all that impressed. I saw too much Renee, except for the hairstyle. I do like RZ as an actress but I thought she was better in some of her other roles. I do expect her to get an Oscar nomination for this though. Oscar loves movies about real people, particularly those who can sing.
I am wondering if a straight biopic without multiple flashback would have been more effective? It might have shown her better years and then the sad life. IDK.
I didn’t know Judy Garland outside of The Wizard of Oz, so may be my opinion is not to be taken seriously. The movie was confusing at first, depressing later, but not in an artistic way. The sad story did not bring me to tears. 6/10 JMO.
I am wondering if a straight biopic without multiple flashback would have been more effective? It might have shown her better years and then the sad life. IDK.
I didn’t know Judy Garland outside of The Wizard of Oz, so may be my opinion is not to be taken seriously. The movie was confusing at first, depressing later, but not in an artistic way. The sad story did not bring me to tears. 6/10 JMO.
watchthis!!
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cocotaffy
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Watched the Joker, don't know if there has been many reviews yet because I haven't been following this thread as closely lately tbh but it surely sparked many thoughts in me. I went with a neutral state of mind having avoided to read anything of the controverses or even watch the trailer. The cinematography is impressive with many memorable moments where cinematography, acting and music created something truly special like the scene in the bathroom and on the staircases. The most outstanding aspect is however Joaquin Phoenix performance and I'm not even a fan of his as he actually mostly annoys me usually. He was a revelation. However, the movie is way too self-indulging. If the music in itself is intriguing, unsettling and gorgeous, it ends up being so overbearing, it gave the impression the director relied on it way too much to create the extremely bleak and depressive atmosphere. Basically, enough with the soundtracks being a director's crutch, it's too easy 
and this coming from someone who loves all kind of music and particularly well used and composed soundtracks. But not every two minutes during a film, it's overkill and then defeat the purpose. It actually annoyed me so much in the Joker because as I said, the music is great but there is value in silence especially when you have Joaquin Phoenix giving the performance of a lifetime who certainly doesn't need any prop/emotional crutch whatsoever to convey the thorough tragedy the character is going through.
Other issue is the Wayne story arc. This was uncalled for imo unless it is in the comics which I don't know so OK. But if not, no need to try to desperately link this origin story to Batman. This is supposed to be about the birth of the Joker which could have perfectly happened totally independently of the Wayne family and future Batman character. This looked forced and not believable, it cheapens the whole thing.
Finally, there is indeed an issue with the mixed message given at the end of the film. Personally, I chose to get out with a humanist one on how our societies should take a long hard look at the way they treat their mentally ills and how cutting social funding isn't gonna make everyone safer. This is made very clear in the film. But the theme of revenge is also explored in a much more problematic manner. Making it look like a necessary evil even glamorizing it in a way.
This movie was restricted to 18+ here and I thought this was overkill but tbh, it was one of the grimmest, most depressive thing I've ever watched and experiencing it on a big screen could definitely impressed even the most mature youngsters out there.
Sorry for the long post ...
and this coming from someone who loves all kind of music and particularly well used and composed soundtracks. But not every two minutes during a film, it's overkill and then defeat the purpose. It actually annoyed me so much in the Joker because as I said, the music is great but there is value in silence especially when you have Joaquin Phoenix giving the performance of a lifetime who certainly doesn't need any prop/emotional crutch whatsoever to convey the thorough tragedy the character is going through.Other issue is the Wayne story arc. This was uncalled for imo unless it is in the comics which I don't know so OK. But if not, no need to try to desperately link this origin story to Batman. This is supposed to be about the birth of the Joker which could have perfectly happened totally independently of the Wayne family and future Batman character. This looked forced and not believable, it cheapens the whole thing.
Finally, there is indeed an issue with the mixed message given at the end of the film. Personally, I chose to get out with a humanist one on how our societies should take a long hard look at the way they treat their mentally ills and how cutting social funding isn't gonna make everyone safer. This is made very clear in the film. But the theme of revenge is also explored in a much more problematic manner. Making it look like a necessary evil even glamorizing it in a way.
This movie was restricted to 18+ here and I thought this was overkill but tbh, it was one of the grimmest, most depressive thing I've ever watched and experiencing it on a big screen could definitely impressed even the most mature youngsters out there.
Sorry for the long post ...
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If you like Joaquin Phoenix and have a high tolerance for uber depresso films, check out Two Lovers, in which he is really incredible. It even includes a good performance from Gwyneth Paltrow, who I normally have a pretty low tolerance for (sort of similar-ish role to The Royal Tenebaums, which is the only other thing I've really liked her in).
Cachoo
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I'm catching up on films: One I particularly liked was "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" Melissa McCarthy should take more dramatic roles. She and Richard E. Grant were so good and believable in those roles.
"12 Strong" about the first special forces troops in Afghanistan after 9/11: One aspect of this movie that irritates me is that their Afghani contact (warlord) is portrayed as this arrogant ****head who eventually helps. The men who were first in said this man was a welcoming guy who was ready to fight the Taliban from the get-go. If he is alive I hope he missed the movie.
"12 Strong" about the first special forces troops in Afghanistan after 9/11: One aspect of this movie that irritates me is that their Afghani contact (warlord) is portrayed as this arrogant ****head who eventually helps. The men who were first in said this man was a welcoming guy who was ready to fight the Taliban from the get-go. If he is alive I hope he missed the movie.
Japanfan
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Eyes Wide Shut is one of my favorite films of all time.
And Kubrick one of my favorite film-makers.Eyes Wide Shut is one of my favorite films of all time.
Well I do wonder if maybe it would have been less unbearable if I'd seen it when it first came out? I absolutely love Kubrick btw, but this one was not for me!
Japanfan
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I don't know. I've watched it multiple times.
I really liked the scene with the two of them in the bedroom after attending the ball. Particularly when Kidman says: "So just because I'm a beautiful woman everyone wants to **** me?" And Cruise nods 'yes'.
Cachoo
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There's a dreamlike quality to the film which I think is enhanced by ---of all things--- Christmas lights. I believe I would have thought less of the film without NYC at Christmas. Somehow it adds to her sexual fantasies and his sexual experience.
As I remember, it was an ok movie in the theatre. Not particularly good or bad.
Finally saw Downton Abbey. I had never seen the TV show, so it took me a while to get interested in the characters. The story was so so, but the cinematography, background score, sets and costumes were stunning. Expect some Oscars in those categories. Overall I thought it was quite good but not something to rave about.
I wrote a longer review on Facebook, only to find out that Facebook won’t let me post it. Did anyone have issues with Facebook today?
I wrote a longer review on Facebook, only to find out that Facebook won’t let me post it. Did anyone have issues with Facebook today?
MacMadame
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Given how widely it was panned at the time, I'm guessing the answer is No.
I saw "The Current War: Director's Cut" last night. Absolutely loved it. I'm a huge Benedict Cumberbatch fan, so of course I thought he was wonderful, but I also thought Tom Holland and Michael Shannon gave equally strong performances. Nicholas Hoult was also good as Tesla, but I found the (obviously fake) accent quite distracting.
I went to see JoJo Rabbit this evening instead of watching skating. Wow, just wow. A satire about a boy in Nazi Germany who has Hitler as an imaginary friend, and more. Really crazy movie with some excellent performances by Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson, with director Taika Waititi as Hitler. Kudos to Roman Griffin Davis who plays the boy. He is awesome. Really really out there, but well done.
Has anyone seen the movie Lighthouse? It’s getting rave reviews. However when I read more about it, I doubt that I would want to see it. One reviewer described it as a horror movie. It is in B&W and filmed with a 35 mm camera. One described it as a small square on the screen (instead of a full screen). I find that gimmicky.
They are fun movies! Lover Come Back is basically the same plot as Pillow Talk but hubby and I like it better. There's a lot to choose from. Movies of the same era with Doris and Cary Grant, Rod Taylor and James Garner are also good.
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Foolhardy Ham Lint
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A bit off topic, but I will always associate Out Of Africa with the first time I had heard of Jill Trenary and saw her skate on TV at the 1987 US National Championships. I love that soundtrack.
Jill Trenary 1987 US Nationals Long Program
After placing 2nd in both the compuslory figures and short program, Jill Trenary wins the long program at the 1987 United States Figure Skating Championships...
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A bit off topic, but I will always associate Out Of Africa with the first time I had heard of Jill Trenary and saw her skate on TV at the 1987 US National Championships. I love that soundtrack.
Jill Trenary 1987 US Nationals Long Program
After placing 2nd in both the compuslory figures and short program, Jill Trenary wins the long program at the 1987 United States Figure Skating Championships...
I love that sound track. I didn’t know that Jill had skated to it. I remember Claudia Leistner skating an exhibition to it. I loved the movie too. Years earlier I had read books about Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen’s life.
I saw the movie ‘The great Alaskan race’ yesterday. I love Alaska, so it was high on my list, even though the reviews were Luke warm.
The scenery was gorgeous, as expected, but I later found out that they had filmed it in Telluride, Colorado, and not in Nome, Alaska. Why couldn’t they shoot it in Alaska is beyond me. I have been to Fairbanks, Alaska in winter, and it is not difficult to do anything there. Of course Nome is much more north, but they could have filmed it in Fairbanks. After all the Iditarod runs between Anchorage (I think) and Fairbanks.
The story is based on true events. There was a Diphtheria epidemic in Nome, in the 1920s and children were dying. The serum they needed had expired and they needed to get one that could save lives, from Anchorage. They agreed to meet at the mid point, Nanena. However it was so cold (-80 deg F) with Arctic windstorms, that a plane could not take off. It was left up to the mushers in Nome and their dogs to travel 350 miles and back to get the serum and save lives of the remaining children. The race was against time and nature. They got it done in 5 days. Normal time would have been 25 days. This was truly amazing.
With such a great story this could have been a great movie. It was just good. Brian Presley, who plays the main character Seppala, is also a producer of the movie. That may have been a problem. His daughter on the screen seems to have been played by his real life daughter Emma Presley. Was there an attempt to give her more screen time? It seemed that way to me. I would have liked to see more of the challenges faced by the dogs and the mushers instead of scenes of the sick children, and particularly the nurse. Not sure if this was a real life character. The side stories seemed to reduce the intensity of the main story. IMO 7/10. It could have been a 9/10 movie, with such a powerful story.
Anyway, I give them credit for bringing this story to the screen. At the end it says that the Iditarod race was started to honor these brave men and their dogs. That was an interesting tidbit. I have always been interested in the Iditarod. I was considering going there to see it last year, but then I just made a winter trip without the race.
The scenery was gorgeous, as expected, but I later found out that they had filmed it in Telluride, Colorado, and not in Nome, Alaska. Why couldn’t they shoot it in Alaska is beyond me. I have been to Fairbanks, Alaska in winter, and it is not difficult to do anything there. Of course Nome is much more north, but they could have filmed it in Fairbanks. After all the Iditarod runs between Anchorage (I think) and Fairbanks.
The story is based on true events. There was a Diphtheria epidemic in Nome, in the 1920s and children were dying. The serum they needed had expired and they needed to get one that could save lives, from Anchorage. They agreed to meet at the mid point, Nanena. However it was so cold (-80 deg F) with Arctic windstorms, that a plane could not take off. It was left up to the mushers in Nome and their dogs to travel 350 miles and back to get the serum and save lives of the remaining children. The race was against time and nature. They got it done in 5 days. Normal time would have been 25 days. This was truly amazing.
With such a great story this could have been a great movie. It was just good. Brian Presley, who plays the main character Seppala, is also a producer of the movie. That may have been a problem. His daughter on the screen seems to have been played by his real life daughter Emma Presley. Was there an attempt to give her more screen time? It seemed that way to me. I would have liked to see more of the challenges faced by the dogs and the mushers instead of scenes of the sick children, and particularly the nurse. Not sure if this was a real life character. The side stories seemed to reduce the intensity of the main story. IMO 7/10. It could have been a 9/10 movie, with such a powerful story.
Anyway, I give them credit for bringing this story to the screen. At the end it says that the Iditarod race was started to honor these brave men and their dogs. That was an interesting tidbit. I have always been interested in the Iditarod. I was considering going there to see it last year, but then I just made a winter trip without the race.
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watchthis!!
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Watched Jayne Mansfield's Car last night with a friend. We both liked it, but at the end, I said, "it seemed like I was watching a drama and you were watching a comedy". So I guess that means it's a movie that works on both levels! 
It's about two families who both face a tragedy and how they deal with one another in spite of their unfortunate circumstances. Amazing cast: Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Billy Bob Thornton (who wrote and directed) and Robert Patrick.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hniT8wE9W1w
It's about two families who both face a tragedy and how they deal with one another in spite of their unfortunate circumstances. Amazing cast: Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Billy Bob Thornton (who wrote and directed) and Robert Patrick.Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hniT8wE9W1w
Aussie Willy
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This is on my must see list. The trailer looked hilarious.
I did see Zombieland Double Tap. Very enjoyable and funny. They all look like they had a hoot making it.
Looking forward to see Terminator Dark Fate tonight.
watchthis!!
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Last night we watched I Give It a Year, a 2013 comedy which stars Rose Byrne, Simon Baker, Anna Faris, Rafe Spall (whose name you might not recognize, but you've probably seen in a lot of things), Minnie Driver and Olivia Colman in an over-the-top (and too short) freaking hilarious cameo. Driver's part is delivered in a spot-on, wicked, comedic genius way. Also starring is Stephen Merchant who is very awkward but quite funny in his role. The movie is all about Byrne and Spall is a newly married couple who wonders if they wed too soon after a seven month courtship. The script is top notch and very edgy. Don't watch this one with your parents or your kids.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od8DhL1hyfw
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od8DhL1hyfw
Buzz
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Saw Terminator today and enjoyed it despite massive plot holes.
snoopy
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Saw Harriet last night. Thought it had good performances and it got the Hollywood treatment - so the arc of the story was uplifting. This was great for me because I am okay with uplifting. However, my SO was distraught because it is a fictionalized account with a couple made up characters. I think most people would get that but he doesn’t.
Buzz
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I hope to see it today. I remember a miniseries about Harriet Tubman starring Cicely Tyson from eons ago.
snoopy
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It’s not the best movie you’re ever going to see and I think the reviews are at least partly right (formulaic) but it was entertaining and a “feel good” movie. They were going for drama not documentary or gritty realism.
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