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

[Davy88gtbwxyc]

I was pleasantly surprised by 'Poker Face'! Russell Crowe delivered a strong performance, and the movie kept me engaged from start to finish. The tension built up nicely, and I enjoyed the twists and turns - some of which I didn't see coming! The cinematography was also well-done, adding to the overall atmosphere of the film. If you're looking for a thriller that'll keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the end, 'Poker Face' is a great choice. It's a well-crafted, entertaining ride that'll satisfy fans of the genre!

 

[peibeck]

Well I can now say I've seen the "Barbie" movie. I'll have to think on it, but honestly I found it very uneven. The more dramatic elements worked a lot better than the camp for me, but I didn't feel like either part gelled into a cohesive whole.

 

[MacMadame]

Well I can now say I've seen the "Barbie" movie. I'll have to think on it, but honestly I found it very uneven. The more dramatic elements worked a lot better than the camp for me, but I didn't feel like either part gelled into a cohesive whole.

It was weird.

Though I watched some "deep dives" on it and it seems like, not knowing much about Barbie, that I missed a lot of subtle callbacks. I might watch it again and see if I feel differently.

 

[Japanfan]

Well I can now say I've seen the "Barbie" movie. I'll have to think on it, but honestly I found it very uneven. The more dramatic elements worked a lot better than the camp for me, but I didn't feel like either part gelled into a cohesive whole.

I didn't care for the movie at all. Thought its best audience was teenage girls who hadn't yet taken Women's Studies 101.

 

[Sarrie]

Having seen the Hunger Games prequel I strongly suggest Chock/Bates use the soundtrack if next seasons OD is movie themed! Beautiful music and they match the looks of the main characters.

On to the movie - l liked it a lot! There are so many little details that give insight to characters in the Hunger Games. The acting was good and even tho it was over 2.5hrs long it didn’t feel it. I felt Rachel Zegler really shined, especially when she was singing.

 

[Buzz]

Aquaman 2 - Saw this yesterday and I really enjoyed it however the movie felt very safe. One thing for sure, you will never look at burgers the same again!

 

[ilovepaydays]

Box Office Mojo: U.S. Domestic 2023 Weekend 51

WELP for Aquaman. Yes, it did better than Wonka in the U.S., but Wonka has done ~$250M total and only cost ~$125M. Aquaman cost ~$200M and it looks like it did $120M worldwide so far. So Wonka has made a bit of profit in the first two weekends. I don’t think that Aquaman will break even.

 

[peibeck]

OK so we have tickets to see Wonka in Berlin here tomorrow in the afternoon. This does not seem like my type of movie, but because of all the good reviews were going to go.

Wait... Not your type of movie? But it has twink Chalamet!

I watched Genie with Melissa McCarthy about two weeks ago. It's a Peacock original, and I loved it! I think it's a fun family movie to watch for the Holidays. I've actually watched it twice. If you get the chance, it's a good way to take a break, relax and enjoy!

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I watched this on Christmas Eve. It was cute, but Melissa McCarthy carried all of its charm. I know they wanted the male lead to be selfless, but the plot point of him getting fired and never seemingly worried about money (especially because he's so concerned about his family's well being) made me question the writer's sanity.

Box Office Mojo: U.S. Domestic 2023 Weekend 51

WELP for Aquaman. Yes, it did better than Wonka in the U.S., but Wonka has done ~$250M total and only cost ~$125M. Aquaman cost ~$200M and it looks like it did $120M worldwide so far. So Wonka has made a bit of profit in the first two weekends. I don’t think that Aquaman will break even.

The other thing to factor in is that the studios don't get all the box office revenue, and the portion they do get drops incrementally week by week, and actors/directors/producers who get a back-end cut eat up a good chunk of that. Then factor in the advertising budgets which can often also soar up to $100M too.


I watched "Maestro" on Netflix yesterday. It's definitely a warts-and-all tale of Leonard Bernstein and his wife, and is assuredly not for all tastes. Several major things in Bernstein's musical life are omitted, but the story is really focused more on small moments between the leading characters and how despite being so mismatched (and often unhappy) they are, they are also so codependent upon and, indeed, still love each other. And, of course, the music is glorious.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Wait... Not your type of movie? But it has twink Chalamet!

Lollll see you don’t know me, I’m not into Twinks Im into full fledge grown men, preferably right out of prison

Anyway we ended up not seeing it. We ended up binge watching the last six episodes of fellow travelers, oh my gosh I need lifelong therapy after watching that.

 

[olympic]

@peibeck - I think similarly. I also watched Maestro last week. In summary, powerful acting by Cooper and Mulligan and the writing is good, insofar as it has offers up good lines but I feel the movie was built around powerful acting performances, instead of a powerful storyline that must be developed by the actors, so I found the storytelling spotty. I hope that made sense.

I saw Poor Things with Emma Stone this past weekend and had low expectations. I am not a fan of the semi-fantasial genre but it was downright funny

 

[starrynight]

After we finished Maestro, one of my friends said ‘was that just a giant advertisement for smoking?’

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

After we finished Maestro, one of my friends said ‘was that just a giant advertisement for smoking?’

Lol truly. We did not even get halfway through maestro, we all felt it was so boring that we were falling asleep during it. What a shame is I was looking forward to it. But that was a Snoozefest

 

[starrynight]

Lol truly. We did not even get halfway through maestro, we all felt it was so boring that we were falling asleep during it. What a shame is I was looking forward to it. But that was a Snoozefest

We went to see it in the cinema. The cinema really worked as it gave a showcase to the music. We all agreed that it would not have been as good at home on the TV.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

We went to see it in the cinema. The cinema really worked as it gave a showcase to the music. We all agreed that it would not have been as good at home on the TV.

It was so monotone with the voices they were doing and it didn’t seem to go anywhere… like no storyline.

 

[Kasey]

I went to see The Boys in the Boat today. Really beautifully done movie, great cinematography and soundtrack, solid acting. Obvious Oscar-bait movie directed by George Clooney, but really well done, based on a true story.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Box Office Mojo - U.S. Daily for 12/26/23.

Bad sign for The Color Purple - especially with its $100M budget. I don’t think it’ll be like Wonka and Aquaman where most of its sales will be outside the U.S.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

After we finished Maestro, one of my friends said ‘was that just a giant advertisement for smoking?’

I know what you mean.

In almost every scene the leads were either holding a cigarette or had one dangling out of their mouths.

Social conventions were so different then.

That being said, I really enjoyed the art direction.

The earlier scenes in black and white, followed by the transition to colour reminded me of films shot within those time periods.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Planning to see THE HOLDOVERS and SALTBURN. Any thoughts on either of them?

 

[olympic]

Planning to see THE HOLDOVERS and SALTBURN. Any thoughts on either of them?

I saw Saltburn in Boston over the Thanksgiving holiday. Rosamund Pike is wonderful. Though, I had issues with the direction of the script in the latter half of the movie, but you be the judge

 

[ilovepaydays]

Box Office Mojo - U.S. Daily for 12/26/23.

Bad sign for The Color Purple - especially with its $100M budget. I don’t think it’ll be like Wonka and Aquaman where most of its sales will be outside the U.S.

Box Office Mojo - U.S. Daily for 12/27/23.

Wonka is still getting $8M a day in the U.S. for Aquaman and The Color Purple.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Watching the The Sting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. There is a reason this is a classic. It reminds me of every con tv show or movie I've seen. Probably because they were all imitating this one. Excellent fun and worth watching.

 

[Cachoo]

Planning to see THE HOLDOVERS and SALTBURN. Any thoughts on either of them?

I watched "Saltburn." Barry Keoghan is terrific and the cast is solid. It is interesting to watch a cast of characters that I find difficult to relate to in any way. But the film held my attention to the end so I recommend it.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I watched "Saltburn." Barry Keoghan is terrific and the cast is solid. It is interesting to watch a cast of characters that I find difficult to relate to in any way. But the film held my attention to the end so I recommend it.

Thanks for that.

I really liked PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, so I am hoping this movie's house style is similiar.

 

[Davy88gtbwxyc]

"Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History" really opened my eyes to the backstory of the Monopoly game. It's not just a simple board game, there's a surprising history involving radical ideas and a clash with big corporations.

The documentary dives into how Monopoly started with a message against greed, which is pretty ironic considering how we play it today. The part about its transformation by corporate interests is particularly eye-opening.

If you're into documentaries or just curious about the hidden stories behind popular games, this one's a good pick. It's not just informative, but also pretty engaging with all its twists.

 

[vgerdes]

I just saw "Wonka." I think it's my favorite thing I've seen in a movie theater all year. I loved Timothee Chalamet in this. A lot. I think musical comedy may be his forte. He just shines. And the rest of the cast was absolutely stellar. The villains were appropriately villain-y and the comic relief was... actually funny. I haven't enjoyed a movie this much in a long time.

 

[Japanfan]

I just watched May-December. I was disappointed. Surprised to see a reviewer at Ebert.com give it four stars.

Much preferred Far from Heaven, also made by Todd Haynes. That is one of my favorite films of all time.

 

[annie720]

I went to see The Boys in the Boat today. Really beautifully done movie, great cinematography and soundtrack, solid acting. Obvious Oscar-bait movie directed by George Clooney, but really well done, based on a true story.

Good to know! I had planned to see it this weekend but the theaters looked full so I'm waiting until the kids are back in school.

 

[olympic]

Good to know! I had planned to see it this weekend but the theaters looked full so I'm waiting until the kids are back in school.

Critics are not being kind to this movie, though. I actually intended to watch it this weekend but will see Wonka instead ...

 

[Aussie Willy]

Commenting on a few of the movies others have

Saltburn - I thought it was good. Rosamund Pike was probably my favourite character in the film. You will never hear Murder on the Dancefloor and not think of this movie after you have seen it.

Maestro - Watched on Netflix. I thought Cooper and Mulligan were really good and I probably learnt more about Bernstein. But I would have liked more about the process of the music as his soundtracks were so important to movies and modern music.

Poor Things - this was a weird movie but I really liked it. Appreciated the humour of it. Emma Stone was excellent. Mark Ruffalo was so funny. It had quite a few twists and turns in it and was not predictable.

 

[ilovepaydays]

U.S. Domestic Weekend 52

Wonka is back on top. Aquaman looks like it will break even - barely - with international sales. The Color Purple is tanking.

2023 Worldwide Box Office

Barbie ($1.44B) was on top - followed by The Super Mario Bros ($1.36B). I knew Oppenheimer did well, but I didn’t realize it was just under $1B.