Saturday, January 19, 2019

Weekend Open Thread

You know, for kids.

24 comments:

  1. Losing my mind this morning over the Buzzfeed thing.

    In other news, I saw Life of the Party with Melissa McCarthy. I think Melissa McCarthy is the goods. She's funny and she's a physical actress - she doesn't just stand and make sarcastic comments, she's like big and loud, which I like. What I really noticed was how I was so OK with her hooking up with a college kid vs that movie Doris, where Sally Fields is trying to get a younger guy and I was like MORTIFIED and DYING. Trust, I was worried at first that Melissa McCarthy would be humiliated, but then I was like OH, they're not going in that direction, they're...making her confident and valuing her life experience and her age, and she's approaching this like a total boss... PHEWWW. And I was impressed. May God make me less needy so I can be like that.

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    1. Oh cool! I look forward to seeing that! I felt the same way about Doris. Many people dislike Melissa but I feel the same way about her as you and think Heat and Spy just show with the right material how endearing and fun she is!

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    2. "with the right material" - my feeling exactly. I haven't liked all her stuff but I blame the writing.

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  2. Can't stop watching "Phantom Thread", like "the shining" there's something woven into the fabric of the film (no pun intended) that makes me watch it (perhaps look at it is more accurate)
    Wonder if it's to do with the fact it was shot on film??

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  3. I'm not really sure what I was hoping for in a sequel to Unbreakable, a movie that to me wraps up its entire story by the time the credits roll. But damn it, M. Night. I *really* hoped you'd be back.

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  4. Just got back from Glass and I'm definitely a bit disappointed. I thought it was alright, but something about the whole thing just didn't work for me and I really didn't like the ending. I can't even describe my feelings on it that well, but it just all kind of felt a bit pointless to me. I don't know.

    Also, I watched Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker on TCM underground and wow, that movie is just total lunacy. Susan Tyrell gives a bonkers performance for the ages.

    Also, after that John Wick 3 trailer dropped, I was in the mood to rewatch the first 2. Man, they still hold up great and are easily two of the best action movies of the past 20 years. Can't wait for Chapter 3!

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  5. Just saw Odds And Evens, by Sergio Corbucci, featuring Bud Spencer and Terrence Hill... in french. Here's the thing, me and my friends, we grew up on those french dubbed movies, with the 2 guys being almost childhood heroes. For us, they only exist in french. Years later, now that i know what a real movie is, and what a real Sergio Corbucci movie is, i still really love it, but it's not what you'd call a masterpiece

    We also watched Not Two But Four. Another one featuring the punching duo. Also in french, it was as fun as the other one

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    1. y kids watch all their movies dubbed in French when they're visiting their mom (their step brother has a poor handle of English)...

      But I can totally understand it just being something you get used to, if that's all you know. Kind of like the old Shaw Brothers movies. I think I'm so used to watching them dubbed, that I prefer it over watching them with subtitles. I think Patrick (or Adam) mentioned the same on one of the podcasts.

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  6. At the beginning of the month, I rewatched Talk f the Town, which I loved. And my crush for Jean Arthur resurfaced. So I have been rewatching some of her movies. Anyone else with me here?

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    1. Jean Arthur is one of my favorite actresses. She makes Only Angels Have Wings really special - her byplay with Cary Grant is sheer joy. And yes, I have a major crush on her.

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    2. Ah Steve, you never let me down buddy, such great taste! And I gree about Only Angels Have Wings!

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  7. After managing to watch a movie a day in 2018, I've been kind of drained, and haven't watched anything in the past week. It's been kind of nice. I've watched a few episodes of Arrested Development, where as in 2018, I would have been watching a 20 minutes chunk of whatever movie I only watched the first half of the night before, just to get towards my goal.

    So I'm happy to enjoy movies fully, watching them in whole, and only when I'm in the mood. Much better than watching them broken in chunks, on the bus, in waiting rooms, on my phone, frantically tried to check each one off of the list.

    But it's cold and snowy here today, so we'll watch one this afternoon (after tobogganing, of course). The kids are leaning towards Tomb Raider, but I'm pushing for Tomorrowland. And later tonight, I might watch Judgement Night (1983), which I've never seen, but owned the soundtrack during the mid-90's when Rap-Rock very briefly was a thing.

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  8. Finally got a chance to watch Halloween (2018). Yeah it's good. Handsomely shot and with a badass score, I did find myself having a good time but I can't claim that it really brought anything new to the franchise. The movie has a great autumn feel to it so I can see myself enjoying this in October.

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  9. With the intrusions of life and work, there has not been much time to sit down for a full movie. I only got to a couple.

    THE CLASS OF ’74 (1972) – Vintage 1970s exploitation blending softcore titillation with serious discussions of the issues of the era (feminism, sexuality, race, etc.). In this case, vintage does not mean good. Nonetheless, the female cast makes the film watchable, especially Barbara Mills. Currently on Amazon Prime.

    I am also following along with TCM's sword and sandal feature this month.

    THE SLAVE (1962, dir. Sergio Corbucci) – Corbucci delivers a visually sumptuous peplum with the biggest star of the genre, Steve Reeves. Reeves plays the son of Spartacus carrying on his father’s legacy of rebellion Zorro style. I eventually stopped thinking about the plot and just enjoyed the spectacle. This film would be a good entry for newbies to the genre.

    I am finishing up a film with the enticing title AMAZONS OF ROME. That title is more interesting than the film, though. Playing this upcoming week is HERCULES, SAMSON, AND ULYSSES. Despite being on the cheesy side of the peplum scale, it is an entertaining watch.

    Next weekend TCM is showing Fassbinder's QUERELLE. Having read some of Jean Genet's work, I am curious to see how Fassbinder brought it to the screen. I have seen some mixed opinions of the film over the years, but the cast is intriguing enough for a watch.

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  10. Anyone else see T2 Trainspotting? Terrible title aside, I really loved it. It's prime Danny Boyle, flashy, tons of energy, great soundtrack, but it also puts the characters in interesting and satisfying places. The final shot will stick with me forever and is "pure cinema". It's simultaneously joyful, weird, funny, and really really sad. Here's to another sequel in 20 years!

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    1. I really enjoyed it, and am looking forward to revisiting it. I agree, while the first one was more comedic (Look at these messed up characters), T2 had a darker edge to it (Look at how these characters are still messed up). We're still laughing at it, but it's a more nervous laughter, for me anyways, as I can see some reflections of my own shortcomings, being middle aged and looking back at how it all went wrong (or right, not to be all dour!).

      That's my thoughts having seen it a year+ ago, but I'm definitely looking forward to watching it again. I often get so much more from a great movie on subsequent viewings.

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  11. Random thought of the day: why isn't there any 80s action movie/tv conventions? I'd kill to get John Saxon and Carl Weathers in the same room

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  12. Never seen it so attempted a screening of "The Passion of The Christ"
    20 minutes in I had to turn it off. It felt "churchy."

    I thought it was Jesus story told through a "braveheart/the patriot" lense being directed by Mel Gibson and all.

    Instead it felt like the bible videos that would play at youth group. No thank you. Even if I made it to when the movie ramps up with the torture, (I guess that's the appeal?) I wouldn't be able to reconcile those first 20 minutes anyway.

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  13. I saw Escape Room this week. And... I'm torn. I really enjoyed the actual room-escaping bits, which were fun and exciting. (Do I dare suggest that Poe's Masque of the Red Death was in influence?) But when the movie attempted to create a complex mythology, it lost me.

    I also rewatched 1960's The Time Machine this afternoon. Still great!

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    1. It's Saw light. Starts decent but can't finish it properly. The dude's trying to teach the characters a lesson because they did bad things, like in Saw, but i'm not sure what the younger girl did that was so bad

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