I loved that movie because it was kind of a meta-treatise on the power of storytelling. Good one for writer nerds. And Sigourney just tore up that role as grieving Grandma.
Lion (bought the dvd now that it’s down to $10). I have never cried during a movie more than I did during this one and I don’t often cry at them. Monsoon of tears flowing down my cheeks, mostly approaching the happy ending.
The Specialist (1994) directed by Luis Llosa with Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone.
Last movies I saw: American Assassin. Preview screening on August 15, although the movie doesn’t come out for another couple of days. A decent enough movie, but no real surprises. I didn’t feel like it was a waste of time or anything.
The Beaver Trilogy. This movie deserves some explaining, even though it’s hard movie to explain, but I’ll try. It’s essentially the same basic story three times, with changes each time. The first is a straight-up unplanned documentary: in the 70s, a TV cameraman is trying out a new camera outside the station and spots a young fella, Gary, taking pictures of the news helicopter. The kid is a real character, and very friendly, and really likes performing. He later invites the cameraman to a talent show in his home town of Beaver, Utah. The talent show is pretty unspectacular, until Gary comes out in full makeup as Olivia Newton-John and does, basically, a drag show, the likes of which Beaver has likely never seen.
The second part is a fictional re-telling of the first, as an early project by the cameraman when he started going to film school. It covers everything in a more straight-forward narrative format. Especially notable: the cameraman was looking around to cast someone in the role of Gary and found this guy named Sean Penn, right before Fast Times at Ridgemont High was released.
The third part is another fictional version of the same story, which I believe he made much later in film school, with some pretty significant changes and fleshing-out of things. Once again, the director fished around for local actors to fill out the parts, and cast this guy named Crispin Glover, right before Back to the Future came out. There are some other recognizable names in it, too; one I noticed was Elizabeth Daily, who sometimes goes by E.G. Daily. I know her best as the voice of Tommy on Rugrats, but she’s been in tons of other stuff (Dottie from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, anyone?).
Anyway. I’m glad to have seen it, though I’m sure it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s very rarely seen, because really the only way to see it is at special screenings or buying the DVD from the director’s website directly. I think there’s a lot to talk about with this movie; it’s a shame that it doesn’t have a wider audience. It should probably be shown in film schools; it’s a good example of how the same essential story can be told in different ways. If you want to see more about it, there’s actually a documentary about the history and making of the Beaver Trilogy on Netflix, called Beaver Trilogy Part IV.
AARP had a free pre-release showing of Victoria and Abdul, starring Judi Dench. Based on a real story about the queen and a Muslim Indian who became her closest confidante. The cast members emote for all it’s worth, but it’s a pleasantly amusing film. Eddie Izzard is unrecognizable as Prince Albert.
I’ve wanted to see that. Izzard is playing the Prince of Wales, not his father the Prince Consort, I assume?
My latest five:
Bridge of Spies
Tom Hanks is very good as the lawyer for a Soviet spy and the negotiator for release of an American pilot during the Cold War. Great European location shooting, especially in Berlin.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Saw this comedy classic again - just as hilariously good as ever, and filled with quotable lines. Ni! Ni!
Concussion
Will Smith plays an African-born Pittsburgh coroner who figures out that retired Steelers have been brain-damaged by repeated head trauma during their careers. He faces off against the NFL, which wants nothing to do with his research. Your average David vs. Goliath movie, all in all.
The Campaign
Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis square off against each other for a Congressional seat in this over-the-top political comedy. Not as funny as it could be, but worth a look.
Battleground
A so-so B&W movie about tired, bored, scared, dirty GIs enduring the Battle of the Bulge during WWII.
This last weekend I watched the Tom Petty doc Runnin’ Down A Dream along with Hitchcock’s *The Birds *and North By Northwest.
Yup, he plays Bertie.
Thanks. I thought so.
My latest five:
Tim’s Vermeer
Very interesting documentary about an inventor and engineer who theorizes that noted Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer used optical gadgets to make his nearly-photographically-accurate paintings. Tim sets out - despite having, by his own admission, zero artistic ability of his own - to duplicate the process and create his own version of a famous Vermeer painting. Penn and Teller directed and produced the movie, and briefly appear.
Kind Hearts and Coronets
A clever 1949 dark comedy, set in Edwardian times, about a cold-blooded aristocratic wannabe who sets out to “prune the family tree” and kill everyone standing between him and a British dukedom. Alec Guinness plays nine (or ten, depending on how you count) roles as the various D’Ascoyne heirs (including a woman), and does them all very well, of course.
Blade Runner 2049
A worthy sequel to the 1982 Ridley Scott classic. A fine cast, interesting script, powerful score (although occasionally too loud) and just as detailed and fully-realized a futuristic Los Angeles dystopia. It moves the story forward and deals engagingly with the same important issues of humanity, identity and slavery as the original. Definitely worth seeing on the big screen.
Alien
Watched this sf classic again; it still holds up well.
Aliens
Ditto. It remains one of my all-time favorite sf action-adventure movies ever. Sigourney Weaver rules the screen.
This weekend I saw…
Thor: Ragnarok
Really I was just happy to see Hulk on-screen again, but I was pretty pleased with this one overall. I especially liked Goldblum being Goldblum and the Thor/Hulk and Thor/Banner exchanges. There were a few problems with it, but overall it’s in the upper mid-pack of the MCU movies for me.
Pokemon The Movie: I Choose You!
I saw this one with my kiddo, who loves anything and everything Pokemon right now. I guess it’s kind of an alternate origin story for Ash’s relationship with Pikachu. It was cute.
I went to see Logan Lucky this week. I highly recommend it. It’s basically a heist comedy. Think Ocean’s 11 but with hillbillies.
I saw Atomic Blonde a couple of weeks ago. Good performances by Charlize Theron and the rest of the cast. It’s an unusual movie to see in 2017: a gritty cold war spy movie. One of those movies where nobody knows which side anyone is really on.
Bloody Shuriken (1965)
Starts as a Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars knock-off, but instead of two clans running the town, there are three. Raizô Ichikawa, a little more animated than Mr. Spock, is the stranger who never runs out of throwing knives while manipulating the clans into slicing and dicing each other out of business. A weak and senseless end marred this otherwise enjoyable sword opera.
*The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent *(1957)
Cheap Roger Corman flick has Viking women setting off to rescue their dimwitted men held as slaves by some dickwads on an island. The cheesy giant sea serpent puppet is not as cheesy as one expects.
Hollywood on Trial (1976)
Documentary on the Blacklist era, mostly focusing on the Hollywood 10. On the whole, a little on the dull side, but still interesting and reasonably balanced. A HUAC investigator claims there was no blacklist; Ronald Reagan bogusly asserts the blacklist was maintained by “the American people,” not the studios; Dalton Trumbo expresses satisfaction with his conviction for contempt of Congress “because I did hold them in contempt.”
La Fin du Jour (1939)
Classic French film of actors in a retirement home. Well-written, but bitter comedy has a couple unpleasant characters who didn’t get it bad enough, IMO.
Lana: Queen of the Amazons (1964)
Scientist and nephew search for Amazons in South America. Guilty pleasure Brazilian/German co-production features gorgeous scenery, lots of topless Brazilian women and an unrecognizable Catherine Schell (from Space: 1999) as their blonde queen.
My latest five:
Alien 3
Ripley gets marooned on a prison planet. Pretty damn bleak, and not nearly as good as the first two movies in the series. Charles Dance (Tywin on Game of Thrones) has a nice role as the prison doctor, though.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Terrific naval adventure set during the Napoleonic Wars. Quite an immersive experience - you often actually feel as if you’re aboard HMS Surprise. Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany are great as the Royal Navy captain and his best friend, the ship’s surgeon and amateur naturalist.
Thor: Ragnarok
Action, adventure, more humor than usual for these movies, and lots of fun. Favorite line: “I know him! He’s a friend from work!”
The Sting
Finally saw this Depression-era con-artist film from start to finish. A clever plot and fine cast. Robert Redford and Paul Newman are, of course, great together. Robert Shaw plays the scary mobster they try to fleece.
Sense and Sensibility
Having just seen a so-so stage version of the Jane Austen novel, thought I’d go back and rewatch the 1995 adaptation which Emma Thompson both wrote and costarred in. Just as good as ever - a classic romance with a well-earned happy ending.
Charming little film, isn’t it?
Hope this isn’t the first time! :eek: If so, what took you so long? 
I watched the “Director’s Cut” of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
Not that good. And too long. And every scene with Bob Dylan could easily be cut. But, boy, did it have a butt-load of name actors!
I was going to search for this thread so I could vent about The Dinner. I had wanted to see it and it only stayed in theaters around here for a week so I kind of forgot about it and then there it was on Netflix.
I’m not sure I can adequately describe how irritating I found this film. Great (if not all that original) premise : two sets of parents meet over dinner to discuss an incident that involves their children. Great cast: Richard Gere, Steve Coogan, Laura Linney and Rebecca Hall. Oh, and a wee part for Chloe Sevigny.
How did I hate this thing? Let me count the ways. . .
Coogan’s character was absolutely insufferable. I know, I know ; he’s supposed to be. But I would have thought it would have been better to have him possess a *scintilla *of likeability.
Laura Linney’s character was like a mash up of the poor martyred sister in Love Actually and the self aggrandizing wife in Mystic River.
Richard Gere has top billing but really does little until 2/3 of the way through.
Rebecca Hall is always good but often times plays characters I dislike. This is one of those times.
Don’t get me started on the children in this movie.
I wished for a moment that everyone remotely responsible for this dreck had died in the ATM vestibule fire
Not a big movie-watcher at home or at the cinema, but did see a couple recently worth reporting on.
Big Hero 6 is a Disney animation about family, robots, friendships and growing up. I know, that’s basically all Disney movies (maybe without the robots), but it was well-plotted, the characters were fine, the plot twists (even the ones they telegraphed) worked and the ending (and potential for sequels) brought the requisite tears. If you’re in the mood for an animated movie and haven’t seen this one, try it.
Hidden Figures. Very well done movie about racism and sexism and triumph without beating one over the head and shoulders with it. My niece/nephew were both amazed that things like that (“colored” bathrooms) existed in the “Space Age”, and anyone younger than 30 should have to see it. Very well acted, the three parallel stories of the main women characters blended well, and Kevin Costner for once didn’t over-do things and hit the mark. If you haven’t seen it, try to.
Great film that holds up through repeated viewings because the performances are so good. And because of the ending, it’s also fun to watch someone watch it for the first time.
Gondorff: Glad to meet you, kid. You’re a real horse’s ass.
Hooker: Luther said I could learn something from you. I already know how to drink.
After all these years, SWMBO and I finally got around to watching Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. It was…less than spectacular, but adequate.
We then watched Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. It was…less than adequate. By a lot.
Follows the Star Trek Movie Pattern: even numbers good; odd numbers stink.
Dunno. I was too young to see it when it came out, and then just never got around to it until now. No excuses.
I know people say that, but I don’t buy it. ST III was a perfectly decent movie, and ST Nemesis (#10) was no great shakes.