Petulia from 1968 with George C. Scott and Julie Christie (and a host of recognizable 60s actors). Started off with a bang – Big Brother and the Holding Company performing at a swank charity do. Heartbreakingly young Janis Joplin. At first, I didn’t think I was going to like it, but it pulled me in. You have to get beyond the somewhat offputting “kookiness” of Christie’s character, and then it becomes very sad. Directed by Richard Lester but not A Hard’s Night at all. Lots of flash forwarding and flash backing, but not confusing. It might have been more confusing to a 60s audience, but the fragmentation of the storytelling emphasised the fragmentation of the characters’ lives. Sort of an homage to anomie.
Oh, and the Grateful Dead also make an appearance. It’s set in San Francisco and makes glorious use of the city. There’s a wonderful sequence where Scott is playing with his kids in Fort Point. It must have been before it was opened to the public, because it was atmospherically decrepit and rusty, and there was a glimpse of sign saying something like Military Personnel Only.
I’m halfway through Dead Ringer with Bette Davis and Karl Malden. Made only four years before Petulia but it feels like 20 years earlier. Karl Malden is only about four years younger than Davis, but looks a lot younger. A bit klunky. But there’s a scene showing Figueroa and Temple where you can see a lot of construction cranes in the background. I was wondering if it was when they were building the Music Center.
Yes, I’ve been watching Takashi Miike’s movies a lot lately, not including Audition and Ichi the Killer.
A disappointment. Nothing about this movie stands out as particularly memorable. Despite being a Takashi Miike movie, it feels almost 90% generic and none of his film-making uniqueness comes out in the final product.
Mostly a dull plot, acting is minimally effective.
Disney’s The Black Hole. Every so often I get the urge to rewatch it. The effects are terrible compared with today’s wizardry at times, and yet it’s still amazing (ok, the ending and the robot target game are weird and skippable). Worth seeing if you haven’t done it yet.
Granddaughter and I saw the Mario Bros. movie in IMAX.
Me: “It was loud and colorful. I had to crank down the hearing aids twice during the movie. The villain was appropriately villainous. Good guys, team tactics, and resilience carried the day.” Did I mention it was loud?
Granddaughter (age 10): “That was great.” (She was familiar with all the game action).
Both: “The previews got progressively louder.” We guessed it was to prepare us for the actual movie. The dialogue was fine, not distorted, probably due to the IMAX setup.
Rating (for youngsters) A
For us old farts (leave the hearing aids off or behind) C
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. I’m a big fan of Jenny Slate. I’ve been aware of this character for a bit. Wasn’t really interested in seeing a movie based on the character. But the reviews finally got to me.
A reasonably okay film. Some nice touches. The voice is indeed irritating to some extent. Oh, well. Story is more or less workable. Bonus Point: Isabella Rossellini.
Something to watch when you don’t have anything better in the queue.
The final 30 minute showdown in the Home Depot was well done, though it has been done better.
This movie is apparently based on The Equalizer TV show, though I watched that as a kid and it was nothing like this. Didn’t that guy reach out to those in need and help them get justice? He did this…just barely…in the last 5 seconds of the movie.
Anyway, Denzel Washington barely acted in this movie despite being the lead. Could have been any actor in Hollywood. Just said lines, emoted a bit, no real impact. I read he did this for the money and God bless him, good for him. I’d be in 10 Equalizer movies for the money he must have received for this.
Just watched this. Literally every character in this movie except Keri Russell is a moron, and that was the only source of “comedy,” which is just lazy, shitty writing.
From the SF Chronicle review: “Cocaine Bear” was directed by American Conservatory Theater alum Elizabeth Banks, and it’s a rare thing to watch a movie that is this terrible and yet gives the impression that it would be fun to hang out with the director. “Cocaine Bear” isn’t funny, but the fact that Banks apparently thinks it’s funny at least indicates a lively personality.
I don’t know if Cocaine Bear was a poorly directed flick as much as it was a ridiculous premise. But my director rating skills aren’t particularly well developed.
Although I am a fan of Toni Collette I hadn’t seen her big breakthrough film Muriel’s Wedding. Last night I corrected this omission.
Yeah, it lives up to the hype and then some. Funny, sad, weird, etc. nicely mixed together. Rachel Griffiths was a hoot and a half, until, er., it wasn’t.
The idea of Toni Collette as being kind of ugly was a bit hard to swallow.
I bravely watched it without subs. It was fairly understandable except for the father and some of the “girlfriends”.
Note that Abba music is used. A lot. And I am definitely not a fan. It worked fairly well for most of the movie but later on it got really annoying,.
And in the feeling old department, the movie came out in 1994. That’s mumble, mumble years ago.