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

[Vash01]

Watched 'An Affair to Remember' last night, after many years, because I didn't feel like watching anything serious. It is a charming movie but it felt a bit stale. May be had seen it too many times in the past? May be the story is not appealing anymore? Deborah Kerr looks beautiful and her dialogues with Cary Grant are delivered very well by both. I liked his French Grandmother a lot.

The extras on the dvd were quite interesting. I didn't know that Cary Grant wanted to Marry Sophia Loren but she married Carlo Ponti. An older Deborah Kerr and her grown up daughter were interviewed in separate scenes. Her daughter doesn't look anything like her.

 

[Jay42]

Watched 'An Affair to Remember' last night, after many years, because I didn't feel like watching anything serious. It is a charming movie but it felt a bit stale. May be had seen it too many times in the past? May be the story is not appealing anymore? Deborah Kerr looks beautiful and her dialogues with Cary Grant are delivered very well by both. I liked his French Grandmother a lot.

The extras on the dvd were quite interesting. I didn't know that Cary Grant wanted to Marry Sophia Loren but she married Carlo Ponti. An older Deborah Kerr and her grown up daughter were interviewed in separate scenes. Her daughter doesn't look anything like her.

I read Sophia Loren's autobiography a while back and Cary Grant really did try his best to convince Sophia Loren to marry him but she was too far gone on Carlo Ponti even after the hoops they had to jump through (his divorce) to consider marrying anyone else.

 

[Buzz]

On the box office express, 'Bullet Train' rides to No. 1

'Bullet Train' debuts at No. 1 at the box office.

ew.com

 

[VGThuy]

Watched 'An Affair to Remember' last night, after many years, because I didn't feel like watching anything serious. It is a charming movie but it felt a bit stale. May be had seen it too many times in the past? May be the story is not appealing anymore? Deborah Kerr looks beautiful and her dialogues with Cary Grant are delivered very well by both. I liked his French Grandmother a lot.

The extras on the dvd were quite interesting. I didn't know that Cary Grant wanted to Marry Sophia Loren but she married Carlo Ponti. An older Deborah Kerr and her grown up daughter were interviewed in separate scenes. Her daughter doesn't look anything like her.

I remember enjoying that movie but thinking it could have easily been edited down to a clean 90 minutes. But then, back then, you got more bang for your buck, and movies averaged 120 minutes.

 

[Cachoo]

I watched "Prey" last weekend when our favorite hunter--the predator---sought out Comanche, French traders and other misc. beings. I have honestly never watched a Predator film but I have to admit I was entertained. Amber Midthunder plays the main character and she carries the film. Kudo's to her.

And I finally saw "Licorice Pizza." I love when a film set in a certain time period truly looks and feels that way. I liked the film and was charmed by the two leads.

 

[Buzz]

WOW!

Top Gun: Maverick Sinks Titanic at the Box Office

Next goal: a reference in the spoken-word section of a Britney Spears song.

www.vulture.com

 

[watchthis!!]

The extras on the dvd were quite interesting. I didn't know that Cary Grant wanted to Marry Sophia Loren but....

I thought it was Randolph Scott that Cary Grant really wanted to marry.

 

[misskarne]

WOW!

Top Gun: Maverick Sinks Titanic at the Box Office

Next goal: a reference in the spoken-word section of a Britney Spears song.

www.vulture.com

I mean, it's still in cinemas here. If I wasn't still hacking up a lung from the plague, I would have my pick of screenings this week. At this rate I should be able to squeeze in one more big-screen viewing after I get better. That's a looooong run in cinemas for a non-Boxing Day release and I'd guess it still has another couple of weeks to go.

The only problem, of course, is that the longer it lingers in cinemas, the further back its release to streaming and DVD gets pushed.

 

[vgerdes]

I thought it was Randolph Scott that Cary Grant really wanted to marry.

It's entirely possible that he wanted to marry both.

 

[Vash01]

I am still not going to movie theaters (or any closed entertainment spaces). I got the crud simply by being maskless for 10 min while eating at an airport. It wasn't bad but I am not taking any chances. So I am stuck with watching old movies at home. Saw two yesterday (unusual for me). Hated Bridget Jones Diary. Not my kind of movie. Too silly. Sense and Sensibility was good but I got a bit sleepy toward the end (past midnight). So I plan to watch it again.

 

[VGThuy]

I love Bridget Jones Diary, but yes, I would also describe it as silly.

 

[watchthis!!]

It may be hard to believe, but the trailers for Everything Everywhere All At Once do not do it justice. It’s so much more than the “Average Joe/Jane gets sucked into a crazy adventure” trope. It tackles existential crisis, the reality of the American dream, teen and middle aged angst, and packages it in a hilarious mindtrip. The first 10 minutes might drag but once it gets going, it goes.

I just watched Everything Everywhere All At Once and honestly, it's going to take a lot for any other new release this year to top that. It's so good. I wish I had been able to catch it in theatre but April was a busy month for me and the movie was only here for a couple of weeks.

I rented it today and knew I would probably be dazzled by the fractured worlds. I did NOT expect to be so moved by this film. This family was perfectly cast imho. I hope they all receive award nominations. And Jaime Lee Curtis is a hoot in a supporting role. There is a powerful message about listening and hearing and loving each other. And I liked that the film moved between languages and I didn’t give that a second thought.

Everything Everywhere All At Once is a movie I found to be entertaining and one that I was glad to see in a theatre (it just returned to a local theatre after being gone for a while). The first half hour was quite exciting, but then the next 30 minutes were kind of repetitious with a lot of fight scenes. The second hour moved towards bringing the story together, but could have used some script work. And then the conclusion...which I really enjoyed, but maybe needed better screenwriters to really hit the mark as well as it could have. Lucky for the writing-directing team of two, they had a very talented cast to make some magic on the screen with their work. Mom Michelle Yeoh, Dad Ke Huy Quan and daughter Stephanie Hsu get to play characters that expect a lot from them…and each delivers on every level that is demanded of them. Jamie Lee Curtis does a wonderful job with her time on screen. Also, James Hong as the grandfather deserves a mention. He is the kind of actor where you think, “hey I know that guy”. Which is because he has 454 (that number is correct!!) acting credits listed at imdb.com, beginning in 1954. With a cast like this, how can you lose? “You” meaning both the writer-director duo AND us, the audience. ?

 

[watchthis!!]

I saw the mis-named "Elvis". The real title should have been something like "Colonel Tom Park: The Thieving Foreigner Who Murdered Elvis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

This movie was so over the top. If you've ever wondered what vaudeville would be like in 2022, go see this movie!

This movie is all over the place. But then, haven’t all of Baz Luhrmann's movies been like that? Strictly Ballroom is the exception, that was great. But since then, he’s going with “everything but the kitchen sink” style of directing. But he does add the kitchen sink. The whole freaking kitchen, really. His movies seem to be like taking a gigantic art store, shaking it for a couple of days and then throwing it down a city street. A big, messy beautiful who knows what.

Tom Hanks is very strong, but his performance would fit in more with a Looney Tunes cartoon than in a dramatic film. I kept waiting for his Colonel Tom Parker to scramble onto a vaudeville stage like any of the Three Stooges to a damsel in distress on a fake railroad track. And that as an audience should be booing and hissing through our teeth every time he shows up. The script is like that of a ten-year TV show with gigantic chunks ripped out of the binder, so we see bits and pieces of a long story with huge gaps missing.

In spite of all this, I do think the movie is worth seeing. Mainly for Butler. I hope he gets a lot of award recognition for this. He is phenomenal. Overall, the movie is interesting to watch, but don't expect cohesion or self-restraint in any way, shape or form.

I went to "Elvis" last night by myself as I could not persuade anyone - family or friends to go. It is a long movie but I did really enjoy it. I am one of those freaks who is not a fan of Tom Hanks at all but I thought he did a good job here and Austin Butler really captured the very complicated man, entertainer, talented and tragic figure Elvis became. Worth seeing on the big screen with surround sound.

Lucky for Luhrmann, he has Austin Butler in the title role. Who is amazing, but probably in spite of Luhrmann and not because of him.

Saw Elvis on the weekend. It was okay for me. The direction and editing was a bit too heavy-handed for me. But the music was great.

Butler did an AMAAAAAAZING job with the Elvis vocals. If I hadn't read that he did his own singing before seeing this movie, I wquld have wondered if Elvis' own voice was used in this movie. And the sound in the nightclubs of the black performers was so dynamic!

I don't know if I would call Col. Tom Parker a "villain" in the conventional sense.

This movie disagrees with you in every way possible. I am wonder if Baz Luhrmann thinks Adolf Hitler or Col. Tom Parker is the more despicable human being.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I'm watching Another Round about four high school teachers who decide to teach inebriated to determine whether a steady intake of alcohol throughout the day will improve their job performances. I am 25 minutes into it and it finally got less boring when they went out to dinner and started getting drunk. The first part is their horribly boring school lives. I invite you to fast forward just because.

I will update if it is worth watching when they are drunk all day.

ETA: it was interesting to watch. I recommend everything except for that first 25 minutes. I forgot to mention that it's Danish so you will have to do a lot of reading. Quirky was a description I read on the review and I would have to agree. It presents some very interesting aspects of drinking a little and drinking a lot.

Spoiler

Although I hate it when they left the poor dog alone on a boat. Who's taking care of the dog now? I need to know the dog is alright.

 

[watchthis!!]

Bullet Train was a pretty decent action comedy. Good cast, with Brad Pitt as the lead. Helping out was Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Joey King, Logan Lerman, Bad Bunny and Michael Shannon. And at least three surprise cameos. The energy level was kept at a high level throughout the whole movie. But overall, it felt a bit too light on story (and too heavy on action). And maybe the actors were trying just a bit too hard? There are two scenes that take place after the credits begin. Definitely stay for both of them!

 

[watchthis!!]

Lightyear was not bad. Pretty much what I expected. More interesting than the last Toy Story. Lightyear is probably more enjoyable if you go see it with kids. Kids that you know, not in a theatre where other people have brought their own children. The kid in the theatre I was in talked quite loudly for too long. I wanted to go all OLD PERSON on him and scold him for acting as if he was at home.

 

[watchthis!!]

Okay, so Diane Keaton's "Mack & Rita" is not the best movie of the year. But I'm thinking those who made this movie just wanted to create some light fun for an audience on a hot summer day. So there are worse ways you could spend your day than watching this movie. Air-conditioning is just a bonus! Keaton plays the 70 year old version of a 30 year old woman who wishes she could have the relaxed and doesn't-give-a-sh** lifestyle of some of the older ladies she knows. Some hocus pocus ensues and she got what she wished for. Is this good...bad...or both? Tune in to see, folks. Some other classic actresses are featured in this movie, including Wendie Malick, Loretta Devine and Lois Smith & Amy Hill, two actresses who you might not know by name, but will recognize immediately when they appear on the screen. Katie Asleton does a decent job as first-time director after having spent the last twenty years acting in such movies as Bombshell and TV shows Veep and The Morning Show.

 

[watchthis!!]

So as far as I know, Easter Sunday is the first movie to star a full Filipino cast. Which is a big deal, so why not play it safe and don't do anything edgy or offensive? Make a movie for the masses. Which results in a movie which is okay, but not great. I would recommend this movie if you are Filipino and want to be able to look at the big screen and see people who reflect the life of you and your family and be able to say, "FINALLY"!!!! I would also recommend it if you are an uber-fan of comedian Jo Koy, Tia Carrere and/or Lou Diamond Phillips. I wish Jo Koy had given a copy of the script to his girlfriend when he was making this movie, Chelsea Handler. And given her a box of red pens and said, "have at it"!!!

 

[Buzz]

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Takes Down ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ as Sixth-Highest Grossing Movie in Domestic Box Office History

The Tom Cruise sequel has become the sixth-highest grossing movie in domestic box office history, overtaking Marvel's "Infinity War."

variety.com

 

[Davy88gtbwxyc]

"Days of The Bagnold Summer" starring Earl Cave and Monica Dolan was somewhat funny and endearing.

I do enjoy watching movies in which young people are coming of age because it is often very reminiscent of my own youth in different ways.

It feels like just yesterday I was a teenager and now all of a sudden I'm a full grown adult.. (Or at least I'm cleverly disguised as a responsible adult)..

Earl's dark gloomy gothic persona was amusing and comical which was a contributing factor to the overall enjoyability of this movie.

 

[Yehudi]

I enjoyed Easter Sunday but the humor may fall flat if you are not Filipino. All the best bits were stuff that only Filipinos could relate to (the statue - yes that also freaked me out when I was 4, the mother’s thing about garbage, and the Balikbayan).

Speaking of Filipino movies, I was surprised to see another one in my neighborhood Regal, Maid in Malacanang. Imagine it’s 2056, Baron Trump is president and Ivanka produces a film about January 6, where she is the one who convinces dear old dad to finally leave the White House. This is what this movie is for Filipinos.

 

[Vash01]

Watched The Blind side yesterday. I had enjoyed it in the theatre and I enjoyed it again on mymportable DVD player. May be because I am such a big fan of football? I had protested Sandra Bullock getting the Best actress Oscar that year, but now I don't feel it was exactly a robbery. I don't remember who she competed against That year.

Since I am a football fan, I searched the internet to see when Michael Oher retired. I knew he was the first round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens. He played football for eight years but eventually retired due to injuries. Concussion was among them. Sound familiar? However, after retirement he started charity organizations to help poor kids. He himself had been a beneficiary when the wealthy TJohn (sp?) family took him into their home and in the family.

I read that Oher is still dealing with the trauma he suffered as a child, and is getting mental help. He urges people to get help for mental issues early. The longer they wait the harder it becomes. I was pleased to read that he is using his good fortune to help others like him.

I really like this movie because I like seeing kindness of people toward others Who are less fortunate, and this is a true story. I liked the way they ended it, with real life characters.

 

[VGThuy]

Since you brought up some of Oher’s struggles, I thought it would be interesting to share some recent articles I read about Oher and his own opinion on The Blind Side. He basically hated how it portrayed him and the way he felt it placed unattainable expectations on him as an NFL player.

Why Michael Oher Didn't Enjoy The Blind Side

Football star Michael Oher was the subject of the heartwarming 2009 film The Blind Side, but he didn't care for it despite its success.

www.cbr.com

Oher admitted to ESPN that he didn't like the film because of how it negatively impacted his football career, attributing the reason he was "downgraded" so much to something that happened "off the field." He also shared his reactions to the film in his 2011 book I Beat the Odds. Oher addressed how his personality was more extroverted than on-screen, and his football knowledge had already existed before the Tuohys came into his life.

And

How Michael Oher Really Feels About The Blind Side - Looper

Given The Blind Side is about Michael Oher, how does he feel about the film adaptation of his life?

www.looper.com

The film credits Bullock's character with instilling Michael Oher with an understanding of the fundamentals of the game. In his 2011 book "I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond," Oher states (via NPR), "I watched those scenes thinking, 'No, that's not me at all! I've been studying — really studying — the game since I was a kid!' That was my main hang-up with the film." The misrepresentation made Bullock's part juicier, but it also reinforces the narrative that frustrates critics of the movie. When the Ravens made it to the Super Bowl in 2013, Oher was asked about the movie, and he responded that he was "tired" of the movie. "I'm here to play football," he added. "Football is what got me here and the movie, it wasn't me."

I think the above quote is really important to point out because the film really played into typical white savior narratives while undermining Oher’s own drive and motivations to play football and how he was responsible for his success as well. The movie made it seem like he knew nothing about football until Sandra Bullock taught him how to play.

The weird thing about the movie is that without Oher’s own want and motivations and love of football being shown, the movie actually made that family seem extremely exploitative and pushed football onto Oher (who was in a position where he couldn’t really say no as he was taken by that family and totally dependent on them by that point) without asking if he even wanted to play football until way after he had already been playing on the team and had his whole college path be wholly dependent on him playing football.

 

[Vash01]

Since you brought up some of Oher’s struggles, I thought it would be interesting to share some recent articles I read about Oher and his own opinion on The Blind Side. He basically hated how it portrayed him and the way he felt it placed unattainable expectations on him as an NFL player.

Why Michael Oher Didn't Enjoy The Blind Side

Football star Michael Oher was the subject of the heartwarming 2009 film The Blind Side, but he didn't care for it despite its success.

www.cbr.com

And

How Michael Oher Really Feels About The Blind Side - Looper

Given The Blind Side is about Michael Oher, how does he feel about the film adaptation of his life?

www.looper.com

I think the above quote is really important to point out because the film really played into typical white savior narratives while undermining Oher’s own drive and motivations to play football and how he was responsible for his success as well. The movie made it seem like he knew nothing about football until Sandra Bullock taught him how to play.

The weird thing about the movie is that without Oher’s own want and motivations and love of football being shown, the movie actually made that family seem extremely exploitative and pushed football onto Oher (who was in a position where he couldn’t really say no as he was taken by that family and totally dependent on them by that point) without asking if he even wanted to play football until way after he had already been playing on the team and had his whole college path be wholly dependent on him playing football.

It is very difficult to make a movie about a currently living person. The movie goes for entertainment, drama, which may not fit the real life character or events. They take a poetic license to sell the story. I can understand though why the real person would be offended by how he/she is portrayed on the screen. I would be too.

 

[Cachoo]

I realize this guy had served in the Marines previously but this is nuts...and kind of awesome:

THE GREATEST BEER RUN EVER Trailer (2022)

THE GREATEST BEER RUN EVER Trailer (2022) Zac Efron, Russell Crowe, Bill Murray© 2022 - Apple TV+

youtu.be

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I watched Breaking New in Yuba County and felt like it was a big pile of boredom. I had hoped for better based on the actors but there isn't a lot to work with. There isn't any real suspense. I didn't really like any of the characters so I didn't care what happened to them. I've seen a lot worse but there is also a lot better out there. This is fine for background noise if there is nothing better to do or watch.

 

[misskarne]

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Takes Down ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ as Sixth-Highest Grossing Movie in Domestic Box Office History

The Tom Cruise sequel has become the sixth-highest grossing movie in domestic box office history, overtaking Marvel's "Infinity War."

variety.com

Still running three sessions a day at my nearest cinema, so not surprising.

 

[Cachoo]

This looks devilishly good and a little gross: https://youtu.be/VDvfFIZQIuQ

 

[watchthis!!]

Things I liked about the action survival film, “Fall”:

1. Seeing women kicking butt in a very physically stressful situation
2. A movie that is expertly directed
3. Seeing women use their intelligence to figure their way out of a disaster
4. Many moments of being on the edge of your seat…hold on tight for this one!
5. Seeing women support one another when things are at their toughest
6. Cinematography that at times will blow your mind
7. A movie overcoming dialogue in the first 15 minutes of the movie that doesn’t serve the two lead actresses well…and then self-corrects quickly both script-wise and performance-wise
8. A very strong musical score (but played too loud in the theatre I was in)
9. A few twists in the story that upped the quality of this movie

Fall is a movie in the same vein as 47 Meters Down (Mandy Moore) and The Shallows (Blake Lively). I enjoyed both those movies - and liked Fall even better. A fantastic summer movie escape film.

 

[myhoneyhoney]

There’s other Filipinos in FSU?! Holy crap, I never knew! Anyhoo, another Filipino made movie is coming to select theatres. Lumpia 2 With a Vengeance.

The funny side story here: my son attended one day of taping as an extra in this movie. He spent the day running around the school and did cafeteria scenes. We still get the cast member emails but we seriously don’t know if he even made the cut and is still in it. We were out of town when they did the sneak peek ?