Let's Talk Movies #36 - 2020 - Yep it is a new decade

[PeterG]

Greta Gerwig Refused to Cut a ‘Barbie’ Scene That’s the ‘Heart of the Movie,’ Told Execs: ‘If I Cut That, I Don’t Know Why I’m Making This Film’

Looking forward to seeing this scene. Glad Gerwig stood her ground. Sounds like she had to do that again, as mentioned later on in the article. One smart lady.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Saw YOU HURT MY FEELINGS with Julia Louis Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies a few weeks ago.

Small films with intimate plotlines like this are a rarity these days. Had that NYC vibe which I adore, too.

 

[Allskate]

Greta Gerwig Refused to Cut a ‘Barbie’ Scene That’s the ‘Heart of the Movie,’ Told Execs: ‘If I Cut That, I Don’t Know Why I’m Making This Film’

Looking forward to seeing this scene. Glad Gerwig stood her ground. Sounds like she had to do that again, as mentioned later on in the article. One smart lady.

I am surprised that is the scene executives wanted to cut. Maybe just for time? I doubt there are people who found it objectionable. I thought the scene was charming and beautiful and made perfect sense, especially for that point in the movie. I also was glad that they included the cameo scenes by Rhea Pearlman playing an older (ghostly) Ruth Handler.

One of my favorite scenes was the one where America Ferrera got to deliver the kind of monologue that Meryl Streep wishes she had been able to deliver at some point in her career:

Barbie Star Reflects On Shooting Movie's Pivotal Monologue That Meryl Streep "Has Been Waiting For"

Unveiling the true meaning behind Barbie.

screenrant.com

 

[Buzz]

Have no interest in either Barbie or Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer is way too sensible a movie for me and I have no connection to Barbie.

 

[her grace]

Loved Barbie! A fun movie with lots of nostalgia factor akin to the recent Mario movie, but with more complex themes.

For those of you that have seen Barbie, how appropriate is it for a somewhat sheltered 12 year old? Some swearing is okay, most sexual innuendo goes over her head, anything explicitly sexual is a no go with her parents.

It would be fine, I think. There's no nudity. Some innuendo, but I think it would go over the 12-year-old's head. Here's Common Sense Media's review, which goes into more detail about the specifics.

 

[Mozart]

I'm going to oppenheimer on Tuesday and I'm going to the opening night of the horror movie Talk to Me on Friday which got rave reviews at film festivals. It's the first full length movie by YouTube horror shorts producers rackaracka, the philippou Brothers from Australia.

 

[MacMadame]

Have no interest in either Barbie or Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer is way too sensible a movie for me and I have no connection to Barbie.

I never played with Barbies as a kid (my mom had something against them and only grudgingly bought us "Tammy" dolls (a Barbie knockoff) mostly for my sisters who begged for Barbies. [Our Tammy dolls did get Barbie's Dream House one year for Christmas as they were on sale somewhere.]

I never played with dolls, in general, much anyway.

That said: I can't wait to see this Barbie movie. It looks like it will be a hoot!

 

[Jay42]

IMO, Oppenheimer is more the kind of movie that tends to be considered for awards and appeal to Oscar voters. But, I kind of hope that Oppenheimer will not win come awards time because that probably would mean that this is not a very good year for movies. I don't think it is a truly great movie, and I don't think it has a lot of truly great performances. I'd be fine if only Robert Downey, Jr. gets nominated, though I wouldn't be surprised if Cillian Murphy gets nominated.

Honestly with Christopher Nolan's Oscars track record I'm very wait and see on what's going to happen with it nomination wise. He tends to do well in the tech categories and nothing else.

I still think Barbie will have a chance with more than just tech nominations though. It's a very attention getting movie and the Academy does love a movie that makes a lot of money.

Of course some of the awards season movies are going to rely heavily on what does or does not get delayed depending on how long the strike lasts.

I did not see either film but I did watch "They Cloned Tyrone" on Netflix. And I had cheddar cheese popcorn. It was an enjoyable two hours. I was especially impressed with John Boyega.

I've got this on my to watch list for later in the week. It looks very good and I've heard the 3 leads are all amazing.

 

[emason]

No interest in Barbie or Indiana Jones and despise Tom Cruise.

Agree 100%. The sight of all that Barbie pink gives me indigestion, I’ve never been interested in Indiana Jones, and Tom Cruise may be a star but he cannot act. Pass on all three.

 

[Vash01]

I was not interested in the Barbie movie. I felt it can't be my kind of movie. It must be for kids. After reading the comments here, I want to see it.

'Oppenheimer' is my kind of movie (Real life story, scientist, historical) but I was a bit disappointed by the way the story was developed for the screen. That flashback weaving didn't work well. I would have preferred one of the two - 1) Straight forward chronological, 2) Start at the hearings, then tell the story chronologically, back to the hearings. In a way the second approach was used, but still not well enough. I hated the way Jean Tatlock was presented in this movie (not blaming the actress; just the screenplay and Director). Jean was a highly intelligent woman, not just a sex hungry one (though she could have been both).

I think 'Oppenheimer' will get a bunch of Oscar nominations. Oscar loves these types of movies. I just don't want it to win any major awards like BP, director, editing, adapted screenplay. I will be ok with Supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr. I will be ok (but it depends on the competition) with Cillian Murphy getting a lead actor nomination but not the win. Oscar loves to award playing real life characters. I am ok with a Cinematography nomination. The background music was one of the worst. So were some of the special effects (not needed) in the early part of the movie. Oppie's interest in the cosmos was justified because he was a Theoretical Physicist (a great time to be one), but the effects looked like video games children would play.

I am so upset about this movie because I had such high expectations of it! I thought Nolan was a better director than this.

I am likely to miss most of the Oscar contenders this year because I will be traveling in The last months of the year. I could probably see some in Feb. 2024.

 

[manhn]

I HATED Ladybird but LOVED Little Women, so look forward to seeing Barbie. Greta Gerwig is on her way to becoming an auteur too and unlike some other directors, she doesn’t tie herself to a specific aesthetic. The through line is centering her stories around women.

Theater Camp looks like fun too.

 

[El Rey]

I saw Barbie on Friday and didn’t read anything about it beforehand. I thought it was a great movie. I don’t consider it a kids movie, although I think it is totally appropriate for them to see. And I don’t think it’s a girls movie either and will be telling my friends to see it. I also think the movie got “wokeism” right in the sense that it all felt very natural and didn’t annoy me like so many movies and shows nowadays. I saw Mission Impossible on Thursday and about to walk into see Oppenheimer in 5 minutes. Movies are so much more enjoyable when you can eat and drink…

 

[tony]

I saw Barbie on Friday and didn’t read anything about it beforehand. I thought it was a great movie. I don’t consider it a kids movie, although I think it is totally appropriate for them to see. And I don’t think it’s a girls movie either and will be telling my friends to see it. I also think the movie got “wokeism” right in the sense that it all felt very natural and didn’t annoy me like so many movies and shows nowadays. I saw Mission Impossible on Thursday and about to walk into see Oppenheimer in 5 minutes. Movies are so much more enjoyable when you can eat and drink…

I knew there were going to be complaints coming from Barbie, and I already saw one major news outlet talking about how bad it was (something about hating men) but now I can't find the article.

If you want to still see it and like me, haven't read any articles or reviews, I'll spoiler the next section.

Spoiler

It's empowering for women in so many ways; the speech that America Ferrara's character gave about all the opposing expectancies of women (and went on for 2 or 3 minutes) got a lot of claps and cheers from the theater crowd, and all of it was 100% spot on. The dumbing down of the Mattel executives, which were obviously all men trying to say what works best for women (or in this case, young girls and their toys) was fabulous and not exactly subtly done, but done instead in a humorous yet "why is it like this?!"-provoking way. I've long been against the toxic masculinity (it even creeps into the gay world, and I thought all of it was wonderfully done. I also enjoyed the fourth wall being broken in the middle of Margot Robbie's sob speech about how she's not pretty, to which Helen Mirren stopped her mid-speech with the voiceover saying the producers needed to pick someone not Margot Robbie if they wanted that part to be believable

Anyways, I mentioned in my first post about it that the music is really fabulous and it's so catchy-- I'm already teaching myself how to play I'm Just Ken on piano while I wait for some YouTuber to come up with sheet music for the whole song.

Those of you saying you have no connection with Barbie-- neither did I. There's something much more to the movie than a doll and her pink dollhouse.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I will definitely be watching Barbie at some point. I wasn't sure about it at first but the trailer looked like a lot of fun.

They did say if you hated Barbie it's the movie for you and if you loved Barbie it's the movie for you. So it did sound like they were being honest about the ups and downs that go along with the whole Barbie history, good and bad feelings evoked and the world today.

 

[Allskate]

I hated the way Jean Tatlock was presented in this movie (not blaming the actress; just the screenplay and Director). Jean was a highly intelligent woman, not just a sex hungry one (though she could have been both).

I could not agree more. That was one of the most infuriating things about the movie. It's not just that the sex scene and nudity were entirely gratuitous in a movie that desperately needed better editing. It's not just that the sex scene and nudity needlessly turned this into an R rated film when there are parents who otherwise would be taking their kids to see it. It's that Nolan took a very intelligent and interesting woman and turned her into little more than a pathetic sex object.

I am so upset about this movie because I had such high expectations of it!

If you haven't seen "To End All War: Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb," check that out. I think you'll like it much more.

I knew there were going to be complaints coming from Barbie, and I already saw one major news outlet talking about how bad it was (something about hating men) but now I can't find the article.

Yeah, it's red meat for Fox. Ted Cruz is calling it pro-Chinese propaganda because of a childish doodled map (that I didn't even notice). Matt Gaetz went to the premiere (hoping to meet some underage girls?), but he and his anti-woke, anti-LGBTQ wife are trashing it and calling for a boycott.

I'm one of the many people who has never owned or been interested in Barbie dolls but very much enjoyed the movie.

 

[mrr50]

Enjoyed Oppenheimer, but felt sorry for the female leads. I went to elementary through high school with some children whose parents(not Oppenheimer) had been at Los Alamos as scientists(these kids were born in the 1950s). It is an odd feeling to watch portrayals of people you know.

 

[Spikefan]

The Barbie boycott isn’t working.

Box Office: ‘Barbie’ Opens to Record-Setting $155 Million, ‘Oppenheimer’ Shatters Expectations With $80 Million Debut

"Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" shattered expectations, fueling the fourth-biggest box office weekend in history.

variety.com

 

[Allskate]

The Barbie boycott isn’t working.

It seems to be backfiring.

Do a Google search for "Barbie" and watch your screen turn pink.

 

[MacMadame]

The Barbie boycott isn’t working.

Box Office: ‘Barbie’ Opens to Record-Setting $155 Million, ‘Oppenheimer’ Shatters Expectations With $80 Million Debut

"Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" shattered expectations, fueling the fourth-biggest box office weekend in history.

variety.com

Not surprised.

 

[MacMadame]

Here's more about Ted Cruz hating on Barbie:

Ted Cruz Goes to War Against Barbie

Tired of beefing with Big Bird, he’s picked another pop culture icon to fight with and lose to.

www.vanityfair.com

I remember a time when Vietnam having a fit over a fake map would have caused politicians to laugh at them, not agree with them because they saw it as a way to get attention and/or stick it to the left.

 

[PeterG]

The Barbie boycott isn’t working.

Box Office: ‘Barbie’ Opens to Record-Setting $155 Million, ‘Oppenheimer’ Shatters Expectations With $80 Million Debut

"Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" shattered expectations, fueling the fourth-biggest box office weekend in history.

variety.com

From the article:

Among its many records, “Barbie” also scored the biggest opening weekend ever for a film directed by a woman. “Captain Marvel,” which was co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, previously held the title with $153 million in 2019. “Wonder Woman,” from filmmaker Patty Jenkins, stood as the record-holder for a movie solely directed by a woman with $103 million in 2017.

Also interesting stuff from same article:

Audiences and critics dug the PG-13 film, which landed an “A” CinemaScore and 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Initial crowds were 65% female (which, duh…), but that’s notable because it’s almost always the inverse for any movie that generates over $100 million in its debut.

Please let this be a moment where the floodgates opened and female directors are given a much, much greater opportunity to write and direct and do whatever the heck else they want to.

 

[starrynight]

I’m still trying to process how I feel about Barbie. Visually A+ and very funny in parts.

However, both my friend and I agreed that we felt a bit depressed after watching it.

I was really hoping for it to be uplifting and inspirational like Legally Blonde - but it’s actually a bit of a downer in some ways.

Some aspects of the story line seemed a bit mean spirited. There’s an interpretation of feminism in the film that some women will agree with and others won’t.

 

[Tesla]

It seems to be backfiring.

Do a Google search for "Barbie" and watch your screen turn pink.

You can even spell "Barbie" wrong because if you’re close enough, your screen will turn pink.

 

[Buzz]

Can’t remember the last time two movies went head to head at the box office and everyone couldn’t be more happier. Both movies did better than expected. Barbie had the best opening so far this year and only maybe the 5th movie so far this year to make over a hundred million dollars in its opening weekend. (I think) Very happy for the movie industry especially the cinemas.

Box Office: ‘Barbie’ Opens to Record-Setting $155 Million, ‘Oppenheimer’ Shatters Expectations With $80 Million Debut

"Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" shattered expectations, fueling the fourth-biggest box office weekend in history.

variety.com

 

[Jimena]

I'm going to see Barbie today for my daugter's 10th birthday! And I'm going to see Oppenheimer tomorrow. That's the plan. I've been avoiding all posts here. I don't want to know anything about either of the movies.

 

[PeterG]

Ben Shapiro mocked for posting 43-minute video rant about Barbie movie as he sets fire to doll

Ben Shapiro mocked for posting 43-minute video rant about Barbie movie

‘Admit it - you hated the film because Barbie is taller than you’

www.independent.co.uk

Mr Shapiro shared an image of himself looking sceptical in front of a Barbie poster. Twitter users were quick to note that Mr Shapiro was wearing a black T-shirt with black pants – the exact outfit worn by Ryan Gosling as Ken in the film’s musical performance.

“My brother in Christ. You are wearing a Ken cosplay,” one Twitter user said.

 

[MacMadame]

Ben Shapiro mocked for posting 43-minute video rant about Barbie movie as he sets fire to doll

Ben Shapiro mocked for posting 43-minute video rant about Barbie movie

‘Admit it - you hated the film because Barbie is taller than you’

www.independent.co.uk

Apparently, since women can sometimes direct movies and star in them, the patriarchy has been smashed. Good to know.

 

[Cachoo]

Apparently, since women can sometimes direct movies and star in them, the patriarchy has been smashed. Good to know.

I read a hostile review in National Review. It was beyond not liking the movie...it took dead aim at feminists. And the author seems to dislike Greta intensely. My take; it sucks to be you National Review!

 

[PeterG]

Apparently, since women can sometimes direct movies and star in them, the patriarchy has been smashed. Good to know.

It's all Barbra Streisand's fault.

 

[watchthis!!]

Some interesting movies coming to theatres in August.

August 4th - Shortcomings. Directed by Randall Park (Fresh Off The Boat) and based on a comic book by Adrian Tomine. The movie features some newcomers in a story about three San Francisco young adults exploring new relationships.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fLypuUnAfw

August 11th - Jules. If a UFO lands in your back yard...can you make friends with them? This sci-fi comedy stars Ben Kingsley and Jane Curtin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrYm9Shbcs

August 18th - Strays. A group of stray dogs plan revenge on one of their previous owners. Big cast in this one, including Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Will Forte, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Josh Gad, Harvey Guillén, Rob Riggle and Sofía Vergara.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzwOLKTbCUw

August 25th - Retribution. It's been FOREVER since we had a Liam Neeson thriller. It's a remake of a 2015 Spanish movie, so maybe the source material has something new for Neeson to do this time around. Retribution also stars Embeth Davidtz and Matthew Modine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzQn0-WH4WM