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

Buzz

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MacMadame

Doing all the things
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I am waiting to see both Free Guy and Shang-Chi when the crowds die down. I am looking forward to both.
The theater was only 1/3 full when we saw them. But people in the Bay Area are kind of cautious so maybe theaters are fuller in your area? Plus we try to go at off times like Sunday at dinner time or during the week during the day.

If your theater has reserved seats, you can figure out ahead of time if there are too many people for you.
 

LeafOnTheWind

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If your theater has reserved seats, you can figure out ahead of time if there are too many people for you.
I tried the reserved seat with Free Guy already and the theater sold seats next to me. I got my money back. The schedule for theater showings only goes up to Thursday this week so I'm going to try sometime in the next couple days.
 

PeterG

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5/10 – Desert Dancer – A 2014 drama about a small group of Iranian university students who have an interest in dance…which has been banned by the government. Freido Pinto is the biggest name in this one, along with Irish/English actor Tom Cullen playing one of the Iranian students (hmm…). A sub-plot of the movie is the volatile climate within Tehran around the upcoming presidential election. Normally I would be really drawn to a movie with this description, but my interest waned throughout the movie. I think the script is fine, so it seems it’s the direction that’s the problem. At almost all times, we’re waiting for something else bad to happen. The joy of dance is limited in screen time and the fear the students are experiencing or expecting is the main aspect of the movie. So over all…this movie is a downer. ☹

Trailer for Desert Dancer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYCIXaP6pKQ

@Artistic Skaters
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watchthis!!

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47 Meters Down was fun…scary fun. Two sisters on vacation in Mexico decide to add some excitement into their lives and go on a shark cage expedition to get up close and personal with some ocean wildlife. An equipment malfunction means they end up on the ocean floor, 47 meters down. I wasn’t sure how they would make this scenario fill out a whole movie’s running time, but they did a good job. Mandy Moore (This Is Us) and Claire Holt (The Vampire Diaries) play the two sisters. They carry the movie well. I still can’t believe the same actress that plays Rebekah on The Vampire Diaries is the younger sister in this movie. What different characters for her to get to play!
 

Artistic Skaters

Drawing Figures
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The trailer for the new Clint Eastwood movie Cry Macho uses the theme music from The Mission. It is very distracting because it doesn't fit, even though I may want to see the movie when it comes out.

I saw Urban Cowboy when it first opened. It was a hard to define film because it was such a mishmash. It was actually based on a true story written by journalist Aaron Latham (Lesley Stahl's husband) & he also wrote the screenplay. The original story was about the easily bored, shallow, materialistic (on a budget) adherents to this new kind of cowboy code who lived for weekends at Gilley's instead of more traditional things like church activities. The movie had remnants of some of the people - like the two main characters and the bad guy felon who runs the mechanical bull. But then they added the new material like the happily ever after ending that didn't really fit at all & was made for the movies. It had a soundtrack that was an overview of country rock in 1980, which was phenomenal but totally softened up the issues of the original article. The reviews were all over the place - NY Times reviewed it as decent attempt at social commentary and fawned over Debra Winger, Washington Post panned it, and our local newspaper mainly covered the singers and bands from the music soundtrack. I can still remember all the music and I liked most of Debra Winger's films but this was my least favorite of hers.
 

PeterG

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9.5/10 – The Bad Kids. Have you ever watched a movie and been so taken with somebody on screen that you felt like you needed to have them be a part of your life? This 2016 documentary is about a high school in the Mojave Desert which is for teens at great risk of not graduating from high school. The principal at this school, Vonda Viland, is a freaking SAINT. Probably every single teacher is as well. And the kids are not bad kids at all, but teenagers who have had so many strikes against them, with none (or very few) of those strikes being their fault. I feel so lucky to have been able to see this movie.

Trailer for The Bad Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gHRZKRuuRk
 

watchthis!!

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I was surprised by Something Borrowed, specifically to see Kate Hudson in a role of a not very likeable character. Whenever I think of her, I think of her playing the smiley sweetheart. Not here! Something Borrowed is a romantic comedy drama that also stars Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon A Time), Colin Egglesfield, and John Krasinsk. I went into this one thinking it would be about a pretty blonde girl who experiences some barely-there struggle before getting everything she wants. WRONG. This movie is interesting in a lot of ways, one being that Kate Hudson wasn’t afraid to take on this part where she’s not really likeable at any point in the movie. And things don’t go her way (or do they….?) While the movie is categorized as a romantic comedy, it’s more about the struggles around female friendship. Something Borrowed doesn’t seem to be rated high at imdb.com or especially rottentomatoes.com. I think they got it wrong. This isn’t a perfect movie. But it’s a good one.
 

PeterG

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7/10 – The Doctor Takes A Wife (1940) - Loretta Young and Ray Milland play a best-selling author and medical school instructor who, through a series of misunderstandings, are believed to have been just married…even though they do not particularly like one another. It is brought to their attention that this “marriage” could work to the advantage of both of them. This one is a fairly standard romantic comedy of the time, but Young and Milland elevate the movie even though the script isn’t quite as strong as what some of their contemporaries got to work with. The movie co-stars Edmund Gwenn (who won an Oscar for playing Santa in Miracle on 34th Street) and Gail Patrick, who was in some fantastic movies, including My Man Godfrey, Stage Door and My Favorite Wife.

Trailer for The Doctor Takes A Wife: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAFneciOP0M
 
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We watched Once Upon a Time in Hollywood tonight. It was interesting because my husband had no clue who Charles Manson was and did not know anything about the real story. His experience was much different than mine watching it.

It’s long, too long if you’re waiting for the expected payoff, but my husband didn’t think it was too long and was surprised when the movie was over how long we’d been watching.

I enjoyed it, and could lean into being played a bit. I also didn’t know anything about the ending so that was fun.
 

VGThuy

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I was surprised by Something Borrowed, specifically to see Kate Hudson in a role of a not very likeable character. Whenever I think of her, I think of her playing the smiley sweetheart. Not here! Something Borrowed is a romantic comedy drama that also stars Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon A Time), Colin Egglesfield, and John Krasinsk. I went into this one thinking it would be about a pretty blonde girl who experiences some barely-there struggle before getting everything she wants. WRONG. This movie is interesting in a lot of ways, one being that Kate Hudson wasn’t afraid to take on this part where she’s not really likeable at any point in the movie. And things don’t go her way (or do they….?) While the movie is categorized as a romantic comedy, it’s more about the struggles around female friendship. Something Borrowed doesn’t seem to be rated high at imdb.com or especially rottentomatoes.com. I think they got it wrong. This isn’t a perfect movie. But it’s a good one.
I think Hudson took the role in case the movie became a hit and spawned a sequel adapted from the follow-up book.
Apparently, in the follow-up novel, her character becomes the main character is just as spoiled and rotten as ever and because of that, the fans actually found it to be a super fun read as the lessons she learns become more meaningful. Also, John Krasinki's character gets bumped up to a leading man role in that one too.
 

LeafOnTheWind

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I rewatched The Picture of Dorian Gray with Angela Lansbury and Hurd Hatfield. The dvd had commentary from Angela Lansbury so I had to listen to it.

Albert Lewin (the director) was extremely controlling about how the actors said their lines and how they held expressions on their faces. They didn't really get to interpret their roles at all. There was one scene that Hurd Hatfield (Dorian) and George Sanders (Basil) had to repeat 130 times because they didn't say the lines exactly as Lewin wanted them to say it. Lewin also wouldn't film closeups of Hurd after 4 pm and would only do long shots if he looked too tired. Angela felt that Lewin was much more controlling of Hurd Hatfield's performance as the main actor.

Sounds like the movie director from hell to me. It is a great film and one of my favorite versions of Dorian but I ended up feeling sorry for the actors once I listened to the commentary.
 

PeterG

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I rewatched The Picture of Dorian Gray with Angela Lansbury and Hurd Hatfield. The dvd had commentary from Angela Lansbury so I had to listen to it...

I saw this movie a while back but never got around to posting about it. I liked it, probably would give it a 7/10. I don't think I had heard of Hurd Hatfield before this movie. Quite a good cast, in addition to Lansbury (who was nominated for an Oscar for her supporting role) and Sanders, the movie also has Peter Lawford and Donna Reed amongst the cast. The theme of the movie of course is quite dark, but I thought the direction didn't over-do the darkness of the script, so it wasn't overwhelming. Shame to hear that the director was so overbearing. His name was Albert Lewin and he started as a screenwriter in the 1920's and then moved into producing movies in the 30's and then writing and directing in the 40's. The Portrait of Dorian Gray was only his second movie that he wrote and directed. He was director on 1943's Madame Currie starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon, but was fired. That movie went on to receive seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Actress and Actor. Sounds like Lewin's life story could make for an interesting movie itself.

Trailer for The Picture of Dorian Gray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp7xAM-ZCCg
 

Artistic Skaters

Drawing Figures
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We spend more time this summer going to the classic film series at our downtown theatre. Some of the films I've seen numerous times (North by Northwest, Planes Trains and Automobiles) but it was still great to see them on the big screen.

Two of the movies I had never seen before. The Long, Long Trailer (directed by Vincente Minnelli) with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Newlyweds buy a big trailer to drive to their new home in CO and comedy ensues. There is a hilarious scene with Desi Arnaz driving the car and singing about his soon-to-be delicious steak dinner while Lucy is trying to prepare the special meal in the trailer amid complete chaos and flying food.

The Defiant Ones stars Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis (directed by Stanley Kramer) as two prisoners who are chained together and escape when the truck rolls off the road during an accident. They work together to outrun the lawmen and bloodhounds even though they despise each other. I watched most of Sidney Poitier's movies somehow I completely missed this one.

The only new movies we've seen this summer are In The Heights and Respect and I really liked both. My must see this month is The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
 

PeterG

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13,624
We spend more time this summer going to the classic film series at our downtown theatre. Some of the films I've seen numerous times (North by Northwest, Planes Trains and Automobiles) but it was still great to see them on the big screen.

Two of the movies I had never seen before. The Long, Long Trailer (directed by Vincente Minnelli) with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Newlyweds buy a big trailer to drive to their new home in CO and comedy ensues. There is a hilarious scene with Desi Arnaz driving the car and singing about his soon-to-be delicious steak dinner while Lucy is trying to prepare the special meal in the trailer amid complete chaos and flying food.

The Defiant Ones stars Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis (directed by Stanley Kramer) as two prisoners who are chained together and escape when the truck rolls off the road during an accident. They work together to outrun the lawmen and bloodhounds even though they despise each other. I watched most of Sidney Poitier's movies somehow I completely missed this one.

The only new movies we've seen this summer are In The Heights and Respect and I really liked both. My must see this month is The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

I enjoyed Ball and Arnaz in the first movie they did together, Too Many Girls, which also featured a young Ann Miller. The Long, Long Trailer looks really good. I've put it on hold at a local library. :40beers:

And The Defiant Ones is required viewing. For everybody. :D
 

Cachoo

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Here starts my "it's about damned time that the Academy recognizes Timothy Spall for the superb actor he is" campaign:

 

VGThuy

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I quit watching Kate Hudson's new movies after Skeleton Key. She'll always be Penny Lane to me and I;m going to keep it that way! :lol:
Still by far her best role. YouTube had Almost Famous available for free some time ago and I had forgotten how excellent she was in it. She made some poor movie choices since. Who was her agent?
 

Cachoo

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Still by far her best role. YouTube had Almost Famous available for free some time ago and I had forgotten how excellent she was in it. She made some poor movie choices since. Who was her agent?
Penny Lane proved she could do more than rom-com and yet she seemed mired in it. I did enjoy her in "The Divorce."
 

VGThuy

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Penny Lane proved she could do more than rom-com and yet she seemed mired in it. I did enjoy her in "The Divorce."
I remember watching Le Divorce and simply thinking it was a totally different movie than what the commercials led one to believe it was. No wonder Merchant-Ivory did it. It was a more interesting film than what it was portrayed to be.
 

Cachoo

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I remember watching Le Divorce and simply thinking it was a totally different movie than what the commercials led one to believe it was. No wonder Merchant-Ivory did it. It was a more interesting film than what it was portrayed to be.
I agree. There are these delicate cultural differences in families and in countries. I thought it was an interesting film.
 

vgerdes

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I finally got to see Free Guy. Just the fun flick I needed to take my mind off some work stress. Thank you Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer! I never saw Jodie in anything before Killing Eve but I'm definitely a huge fan of hers.
Free Guy was refreshingly different. And funny. I also really enjoyed Shang Chi (more than I did Black Widow, which I didn't expect).
 

PeterG

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Don't Look Up https://youtu.be/-AuV2KFr5RE I want to see this one. :)

Ohmigod...who DOESN'T want to see this one? How did one movie get such a mind-blowing cast? Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Cate Blanchett, Ron Perlman, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi), Matthew Perry, Melanie Lynskey, Michael Chiklis, Gina Gershon and Chris Evans...!!!
 

Cachoo

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Ohmigod...who DOESN'T want to see this one? How did one movie get such a mind-blowing cast? Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Cate Blanchett, Ron Perlman, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi), Matthew Perry, Melanie Lynskey, Michael Chiklis, Gina Gershon and Chris Evans...!!!
That is a great question. I have no idea but I want to know how this happened.
 

PeterG

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That is a great question. I have no idea but I want to know how this happened.

I'm thinking it's two things. The first is that this is a Netflix movie, and from the post last month about movie star salaries, we see that Netflix is throwing money around to actors. The second is that this movie is written and directed by Adam McKay. He won the screenplay Oscar in 2016 for The Big Short (which he also directed). That movie was nominated for best picture and in 2019, McKay was nominated again for writer and director of Vice. Which was nominated as well for best picture with Oscar nominations for Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell and Christian Bale. So...:bribe::bribe::bribe: and Oscars.

Other McKay screenwriting credits include Ant-Man, Get Hard (Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart), Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, The Campaign (Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis) and almost every other Will Ferrell comedy of recent memory. McKay directed many of these comedies, so I'm guessing that McKay is the "it boy" these days, succeeding big time (both commercially and critically) in both comedies and dramas.
 

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