We’ve moved into a new house recently, and I’m getting a proper home theater set up. We’ve decided to have dedicated movie nights a couple of times a week, and I’m taking a cue from my college film club and making Wednesday night the night for a month-long “program” of films. I want to focus on films we haven’t seen (or haven’t seen in a long time), and older films; current or recent releases are for the weekends. I’m starting to put together some monthly themes, and could use some opinions for one or two to help flesh out the film list. All opinions are welcome.
First is a month of what I’m calling “light-hearted monster movies.” Maybe it would be better to call them, “comedic monster movies.” The first two are easy for me - “Lake Placid,” and, “Tremors.” I hope that gives you an idea of what I’m looking for. The trick is that my wife doesn’t go in for too much gore. I thought of, “Slither,” but I haven’t seen it in a long time, and my memory is that it might be too creepy/scary. “Deep Blue Sea,” is a possibility, but despite it not taking itself too seriously might not be light enough. For me, I would add, “Cocaine Bear,” but I hear it’s pretty gory. So…any suggestions for a couple more to add to the list?
For Shakespeare month, I’ve tentatively got the following selected:
Romeo and Juliet (the Baz Luhrman version)
Much Ado About Nothing (Kenneth Branagh). I know this one’s got mixed reviews, but it looks pretty.
Hamlet (Mel Gibson/Zefirelli) I don’t know how this one is regarded, but I remember it as the first film where I actually enjoyed Shakespeare, even laughing at some jokes.
For the fourth slot, I was thinking about “Scotland, PA,” but thought maybe a comedy would be better. Maybe “10 Things I Hate About You?” Other thoughts?
That’s all for now, but if y’all are willing to check back in I’ll probably be looking for more help.
It’s a pretty butchered version of Hamlet (as it would be to get it down to 135 minutes) and I remember thinking that Gibson was too old to be a convincing Hamlet fils (although checking it looks like he was probably 32 or 33 at the time of production) and Glenn Close was not nearly old enough to be Gertrude (~42 during filming), and there is a weird incest moment Zeffirelli introduced that is not anywhere in the text of the play. The rest of the cast was pretty excellent, especially Ian Holm as Polonius and of course Helena Bonham Carter as Ophelia. I know a lot of people prefer the Branagh production (which is well done but I find kind of lifeless and failing to amplify the dark humor of the text) but I really think of all film versions available I think the 2009 production featuring David Tennant as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart as both Claudius and the Ghost-King Hamlet is really the best; Tennant really nails the character of Hamlet in his fake-evolving-to-real madness and the less-mature-than-his-years mopey, brooding prince who frankly isn’t mature enough to take the crown, and it feels like a stage play with film production values but not trying to make it a realistic setting. The problem with ‘direct’ film adaptations of Hamlet (or most plays) is that the original texts are clearly written for the stage, and when filmed more-or-less verbatim feel very ‘stagey’ within their setting, so when made on big realistic film sets seem out of place. It’s a full 180 minutes though, so it’s an investment of time. I have not seen the 2018 version with Andrew Scott but seems like a good choice for the role, and Jessica Brown Findlay and Juliet Stevenson are basically dream casting for Ophelia and Gertrude.
I have never cared about Romeo and Juliet in any form, and Much Ado About Nothing is far more about the dynamics than the plot and the Branagh film seems kind of engineered to randomly throw in screen-only actors with minimal stage experience along with theatre pros like Imelda Staunton and Richard Briers, which makes for a very inconsistent tone. I think the Delamere version (again with David Tennant as well as Catherine Tate) is much better, but it is definitely just a stage play being filmed.
As for “light-hearted monster movies”…Little Shop of Horrors and Monsters, Inc.? Mars Attacks if you can stretch it to including aliens.
Since your first three are actual Shakespeare works adapted for film, I’d recommend sticking with that theme and go with Twelfth Night (1996). It is genuinely funny, Imogen Stubbs shines, and it features Richard E, Grant and Ben Kingsley among other well known stars.
Re: Shakespeare, @Stranger_On_A_Train - the Tennant/Stewart production of Hamlet you’re talking about; is that the black-and-white, very-sparse-set production? I love both those actors, but it might be a bit too…arty? Neither one of us is super-versed in Shakespeare (me slightly more than my wife), so I’m trying to find stuff that’s very approachable to newbies. What do you think about how accessible it is?
@Smid I love both “Tucker & Dale v. Evil,” and, “The Cabin in the Woods.” The latter might be more my wife’s speed. Have to think about it.
For “monster movies,” maybe “Arachnaphobia?” I haven’t seen it in forever. Anybody seen it recently that wants to comment?
Also…feel free to curate your own months. We were both born in the mid-60s, so I’d especially like some suggestions/guidance for older films we will have missed. I’m talking '30s, '40s and '50s. For example, I’ve already thought about:
Classic Dance
Singin’ In the Rain
Top Hat
Ziegfield Follies
Stormy Weather
Noir
The Maltese Falcon
Double Indemnity
The Big Sleep
Notorious
Hitchock
North by Northwest
Rear Window
Strangers on a Train
Rope
(we’ve both seen “Psycho” and “The Birds” already)
If you happen to be in/visiting the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, you are cordially invited over for anything you’ve curated/suggested.
The Giant Spider Invasion, filmed on location in beautiful northern Wisconsin during the Bicentennial summer of 1975.
All-star cast that includes:
Dana Andrews (The Purple Heart, The Best Years of Our Lives)
Alan “The Skipper” Hale
Barbara “Della Street” Hale
Diane Lee Hart ("Now I’m 35. 35-24-36!")
Robert Easton (“We ain’t blood kin. We’s more like kissin’ cousins.”)
It’s not black and white and I wouldn’t call the set “very sparse” but it isn’t the elaborate setting of the Branagh, Richardson, or Olivier film productions; it has a quasi-fascist feel to it which actually fits well with the text. It’s a full textual interpretation and I’m probably the wrong person to ask how “approachable to newbies” (Hamlet is my favorite play and I’ve probably seen at least fifty different productions), but I think Tennant makes the titular character’s motivation quite understandable even if you get a bit lost in the dialogue. I think that most people misinterpret Hamlet as this dark and humorless play whereas I really feel it is kind of an absurdist, almost Cohen-esque black comedy of errors and misinterpretation, and this production catches this better than almost every other production I’ve seen (other than the OSF 2010 stage production). But it is three hours long, so it is not for the impatient.
If you want something more digestible for modern sensibilities, check out the ShakespeaRe-Told series; it wasn’t to my taste but it seems to have been generally well received.
I think Bransgh’s Henry V is better than his Much Ado.
If you have access to the BBC Shakespeare series from the early 80s, I think their version of Taming of the shrew, with z John Cleese as Petruchio, is very good. Instead if the man dominating the woman, as it is sometimes played, this version takes the tack that Kate has been badly damaged by her family, and Petruchio is trying to coax her out of it. Cleese was very good.
It’s perfect. This was exactly what I was going to suggest.
My 13-year-old daughter has developed a taste for horror movies. I’ve been slowly introducing her to more intense stuff, and Arachnophobia was an excellent gateway movie for her. Effectively scary (but not too much), no real gore (except for bug guts when the spiders get squished), good sense of humor throughout.
For horror, make sure that your guests know what kind of horror they’re in for. It could be everything from stupid but fun (Night of the Lepus or Blood Beach), serious but lighthearted fun (Tremors or Little Shop of Horrors), or deadly serious, with the emphasis on deadly: Night of 1000 Corpses (actually, there’s only seven corpses at the end of the film, but the deaths are all gruesomely portrayed), Night of the Living Dead, and similar.
If you invited me over for Movie Night and told me you were showing Night of the Lepus, Blood Beach, and Little Shop of Horrors, I’d be there. Hey, I’d bring beer and snacks for everybody. Put on the popcorn!
If your movie night was to be House of 1000 Corpses and Night of the Living Dead, then count me out. I’ve seen both once, and I see no need to see them again. Each is a gore-fest, and I don’t like those.
