Saturday, February 29, 2020

Weekend Open Thread


23 comments:

  1. So I saw Fast Five and Furious 6 for the first time this week. I'd somehow managed to avoid the entire franchise until I watched 1-4 last year and wasn't that entertained. Thankfully I picked it up again, and 5 and 6 were a hoot! Now I'm excited to watch the next two.

    But before I do, there's 1990 week. Kicking it off now with something called Aftershock, a schlocky-looking sci-fi/action film Ì stumbled upon on Prime. John Saxon's in it, bound to be good, right?

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    1. I have "House Party" and "Flatliners" lined-up for first-time viewings later tonight. Also getting into the spirit of 1990 for the marathon we're gonna have a week from today. :-)

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    2. Fast And Furious, things kinda go downhill from there, but maybe you'll enjoy the crazyness this franchise is now doing

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  2. there's been a bit of talk about favorite actors lately, with Mr Bromley rediscovering the movie of Nicolas Cage and all.

    i have to say, one that's creeping up on the list right now is Daniel Radcliffe. in an obvious move to distance himself from the Harry Potter franchise, i've been seeing him in more and more challenging and weird roles. he even kinda took the backseat in the tv series Miracle Workers (1rst season is really funny, haven't watched the 2nd). the upcoming Guns Akimbo (next week i believe, with Samara Weaving) seem to be a crazy wild fun movie that you would put in the same category as Crank or Hardcore Henry (not everybody like this one, i know). Swiss Army Man was weird, Jungle was intense and almost hard to watch.

    so yeah, i like actors who don't take themselves too seriously and are not afraid to try things and look silly. Daniel Radcliffe is definitely in that category

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    1. When you're a young performer with a fat bank account from your blockbuster work (Shia LeBouf, Kristen Stewart, Elijah Wood, etc.) you can afford to do whatever you feel like as an 'auteur' for a while. Heck, Radcliffe's co-star in "Harry Potter" Emma Watson went the opposite route (conventional mainstream roles) and it's paid off for her. Ditto for Robert Pattison, who's been swinging on the wild side of indie cinema for so long ("Maps to the Stars, "The Lighthouse," etc.) he's broken through and is about to become Warner's new golden boy with "Tenet" and "The Batman." What goes around comes around, I guess.

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    2. Not sure about other countries but if you are in the US or have access to a vpn and don't want to wait 'Guns Akimbo' is on VOD right now.

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    3. I'm not in the US, i have a VPN, but i can't find what platform it's streaming on

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    4. JM Vargas, of course money and fame helped him, your examples are good ones of actors trying to expand. I just feel Radcliffe is more willing to try things. Not everybody would accept to have horns stuck on his head for an entire movie, or guns bolted to his hands, or play a dead corpse.

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  3. UNINTENTIONAL BLUMHOUSE TWO-FER! When I bought my ticket to see THE INVISIBLE MAN (IMAX, 2020) last Thursday night I had no idea Blumhouse co-produced it with Universal. Never saw a trailer or a commercial for it, so I walked in completely unspoiled. Rob DiCristino's review is on the money, except this movie can only work at 100% peak effectiveness during a first-time viewing. Repeat viewings will yield diminishing returns given the premise. "TIM" shows what it's like when an auteur ("Upgrade's" Leigh Whannell) chooses to utilize old-school tricks to contrast and highlight modern special effects trickery shots. Unlike DiCristino I'm not in love with Elisabeth Moss' performance (found her too mannered and mugging aggressively for Oscar consideration), but her mix of vulnerability and repressed inner-stregth is exactly what the story needs to sell me that Cecilia believes she's in mortal danger. There were women surrounding me at my IMAX screenings that were visibly shaken during Cecilia's most humiliating moments, which tells me word of mouth is going to turn "TIM" into a sleeper hit. Not too bad for a project with story elements clearly left over from the 'Dark Universe' debacle. Best UCM reboot since the 1999 "Mummy" remake.

    I knew 10 minutes into BLUMHOUSE's FANTASY ISLAND that I was in for shit show. But 45 minutes into an excruciating 110 min. running time (!) the 'How Did This Get Made?' mentality kicked in and I amused myself far more than anything the movie was giving me. I can't believe Lucy Hale's the lead in a primetime network drama (CW's "Katy Keene"), she's horrible here. Michael Rooker, Maggie Q and Michael Peña (completely miscast as Mr. Roarke) at least try to act around the bad script they're given. Even Bear McCreary in paycheck-collecting mode can still deliver a decent score, but a toothless 'PG-13' horror version of "Fantasy Island" leaves too big a taint to ignore come 'Worst of 2020' time.

    Once you get past the shock of not seeing the 'Fox' in the new Twentieth Century Studios logo, THE CALL OF THE WILD (2020) is a decent time waster for anybody who loves big dogs (aka my relatives in Arizona). It's a 'boy's adventure' movie overflowing with so much CG scenery and animals (not just lead pooch Buck, but also wolves, bears, rabbits, etc.) that the handful of scenes without CG effects look stunning. Who knew Janusz Kaminski could still deliver the DP goods for a non-Spielberg project. Harrison Ford looks invested in his mostly narrator role, but the rest of the human cast falls into either saintly (Omar Sy's Perraut) or mustache twirler ("The Guest's" Dan Stevens). It's an OK kid's movie, but director Chris Sanders (the original "How to Train Your Dragon") has done far better and more entertaining work with less resources.

    For absolutely no reason other than Matt Linton talked about them a couple of weeks ago, I rewatched the FRIDAY THE 13th SAGA (1980-1989). First time seeing them all on Blu-ray (all previous viewings were SD DVD), with picture quality as mixed a bag as the features. "3D" looks the worst (in both 3D and high-res 2D), "Jason Lives" looks the best and most fall in the middle. One moment you're looking at a stunning picture (never noticed how beautiful Adrienne King's blue eyes looked during her hospital bed close-up), next is badly-lit grain city (most of the outdoor nighttime scenes in "The Final Chapter"). Can't wait to dig into the commentaries and making-of docs to justify the $20 I spent on this Box Set a while back.

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  4. After Patrick and JB's quick mention this week of 'Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man' I decided to watch it for the first time in a long while. What a great movie. So damn entertaining. When it was over prime recommended another movie I rented quite a few times but haven't seen for years 'Showdown in Little Tokyo'. This one didn't hold up as well as HD & MM, but was a fun quick watch(79 minutes with credits). Actually turned into a great double feature. Only problem with either film really is the severe lack of Randall Tex Cobb.

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    1. Showdown in Little Tokyo was a watch for Junesploitation last year. I think it does well what it was intended to do: deliver some action sequences to keep a viewer entertained.

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  5. Though not intentional, all my watches this week come from the 1980s. They offered a diverse cinematic experience of the decade.

    EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY (1989) – I had seen parts of it over the years, but this was the first full watch. While the 1960s goofiness of Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs last week was not to my liking, this late 1980s goofiness seems to be more my style. I enjoyed the neon colors, musical sequences, over-the-top performances, and campy visuals of Earth Girls. What a cast! And director Julien Temple sustained the light tone of the story very well.

    ROUND MIDNIGHT (1986) – Director Bertrand Tavernier’s cinematic ode to jazz is a treat for those who love the music. The story centers around a Frenchman’s love for the music of Dale Turner. Turner is played by the saxophonist Dexter Gordon. When Turner comes to Paris in the early 1960s, a friendship between the two men blossoms. A Who’s Who of jazz giants appear in the film, including Herbie, Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard. The amount of musical performances featured in the film would probably make this a little bit of a slog for those who are not jazz fans.

    THE PARTY ANIMAL (1984) – With Turner Classic Movies given over to Oscar nominees and winners this month, I had to create my own TCM Underground experience this week. The Party Animal was my choice.

    Among the many 1980s sex comedies I have seen, this undoubtedly is one of the smartest entries. The epic tale of Pondo Sinatra, a hick from Alabama, trying to get laid in college takes so many unexpected turns in style and content that it is best to let the craziness flow. With references to Faust, Frankenstein, Marlon Brando, blaxploitation, The Elephant Man, and mad scientists, you can never be sure what you are going to see next. I was chuckling all the way through the film. The irony of the conclusion is very fitting. It more than delivers the goods as a raunchy sex comedy, too.

    I rooted around my physical media collection to see which films I have from 1990. Darkman and Hard to Kill are in the collection; I should be able to get Total Recall during the week. I have wanted to revisit Total Recall for a while. Other 1990 titles (not many) I own are Die Hard 2, Ernest Goes To Jail, Predator 2, and the remake of Night of the Living Dead. With some long days at work coming next week, there is no guarantee of being able to settle down for a film until the weekend.

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    1. Who would have thought 31 years after "Earth Girls Are Easy" came out that goofball Jim Carrey would still be top-billed in box office hits like "Sonic"? Goldblum and Davis are unquestionably better actors, but it's Carrey whose presence in the right movie role can still get multi-generational butts in seats. To quote that Russian philosopher Yakov Smirnoff, 'What a Country!' :-p

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    2. That does not surprise me, J.M. With Jim Carrey's success in the 1990s, there is probably a nostalgia appeal to him for those of a certain age. I am still seeing Jim Carrey's comedies appearing on television, so younger people are being exposed to his work. The same cannot be said for the films of either Jeff Goldblum or Geena Davis. Who gets remembered and who gets forgotten can be very random and unfair.

      I have never been a big fan of the films of Carrey's heyday. In Living Color was my introduction to him, and it is a show I still find funny. At the beginning of the year I saw Once Bitten. He was good in that. I much prefer the Jim Carrey of the '80s and In Living Color to the rest of his career.

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  6. Just saw Invisible Man. Moss was great as always and the tension was really done with an excellent decision to not use music or use it sparsely in key moment. 3.75/5. I liked it.

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    1. I'd also like to add that if you are going to see The Invisible Man DO NOT watch the trailers. I cannot believe how much they showed.

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    2. Seconded on the trailer. I don't think I watched it until after I saw it and MY. GOD.

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    3. Thirded. Saw the trailer online after seeing the movie, and not only is it misleading (scenes clearly shot for the trailer aren't in the actual movie) but it spoils at least one major and well-earned jump scare that made my entire IMAX screening scream as one. Glad "The Invisible Man" trailer probably helped put butts in seats, but I'm so glad I didn't even know what the film was about until it started. :-)

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  7. I also saw INVISIBLE MAN. It's the real deal. Even with so much spoiled in the trailer, I was still super into it.

    Rewatched EYES WIDE SHUT. Still a bewildering plot, but Kubrick certainly directs the heck out of it.

    Also rewatched HARD TARGET. Snake-punch!

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  8. Our good friend "Hollywood" Heath Holland just posted a new video showing his latest Blu-ray haul from the just-started Kino Lorber Winter Sale. Lots of good films to choose from, especially if you're stocking-up for the upcoming JUNESPLOITATION! 2020 festivities (only three months away!). At least I'll finally get to find out why Patrick likes David Duchovny's "Playing God" so much. :-D

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  9. It's almost 1990 Week here at F This Movie, so let's get this party started with two new-to-me flicks. And even though it's technically the beginning of a new decade, most movies released between '90 and early '93 can't help but carry with them a ton of 80's baggage. That's a good thing. :-P

    Reginald Hudlin's HOUSE PARTY (1990) is what happens when a hungry and young studio (New Line Cinema) gives a new filmmaker a chance to cater to the needs of an underserviced audience: young urban Afro-Americans with a sense of humor. Even though there are plenty of uncomfortable scenes with white cops harassing young black men and/or bullies planning to do some nasty shit to Kid (Christopher Reid), they're all silly and never cross into the degrees of nasty meanness found in the "Karate Kid" sequels or "Colors." Even though it's most interesting when Kid is trying to get to the party at friend Play's house (Christopher Martin) and what happens afterwards with a couple of cute girls, the dance-off and rap battle in the second act are full of joyful energy. And holy crap, I had no idea Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell worked together (though they share few scenes here) before Fox's "Martin" sitcom. And even though he was only in five movies, every second Robin "Pop" Harris is on-screen is like watching a black Rodney Dangerfield tornado sweep over every corner of the set. I have access to the first sequel, but I'm afraid to watch it because it might mess-up the perfect first impression that "House Party" delivers as a happy/positive time capsule of 1990 youth culture.

    Joel Schumacher's FLATLINERS (1990) already has an underwhelming 2017 remake to prop it up, along with a murderer's row of then-young stars (Sutherland, Roberts, Bacon, Baldwin... Platt?!?!) that have gone on to bigger and much, much better things. Clearly putting style over substance (is this a movie or a Robert Palmer music video?), it's a slick-looking piece of supernatural junk that is short on logic (how did the abandoned Cathedral-like building where the medical students conduct revival experiments on each other get electricity?) but filled with individual vignettes that work. Loved when that kid beats the shit out of Jack Bauer and calls him all kinds of nasty 'PG-13' insults ('Turd merchant!' :-O), and those women that William Baldwin slept with are clearly wives/girlfriends of the studio executives... yikes! Since Julia Roberts shot this before "Pretty Woman" turned her into a superstar it's nice to see her perform like part of an ensemble instead of the star vehicles she'd go on to make. I don't know why Oliver Platt was the only one of the core group that wasn't put into a coma to be medically revived, but I'm glad they found an excuse for him to keep his clothes on. Took me 30 years to see "Flatliners," and I look forward to another 30 years before I even think of seeing it again.

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