Sat, 2020-Sep-12 18:58 (BST)
I'm currently watching through all the seasons of Red Dwarf on Netflix. Any fans? For those that have never heard about it, it's a UK TV sci-fi sitcom that started in the late 80's, It's kind of like the Rick & Morty of its day.
I have mixed feelings going back. I do like the way they'll end an episode with no resolve though. Sometimes I feel we can work to hard too try and button up a plot when it's really not needed.
We watched "Cold Turkey" a really intriguing movie written and directed by Will Slocombe. A great ensemble cast headed by Peter Bogdanovitch as the patriarch of the family, and Cheryl Hines his second and much younger wife. Things come to a head over Thanksgiving and Christmas as old truths are revealed as lies and long buried hostilities rise to the surface. There's a scene where Poppy (Bogdanovich) breaks down and cries his heart out that was unexpected and moving. We discussed the movie long after it was over. It's that good.
I Watched Love and Monsters on Netflix. It wasn't perfect, but still entertaining enough. Currently I'm watching the reboot of Magnum P.I. I had my doubts at first, but now I gotta say it's alright. Finished the current episodes of The Walking Dead too. I'm a sucker for stuff like that.
I've been watching episodes of the 80s Magnum P.I. and loving it. Surprised by how well it incorporates stories about Vietnam vets with laid-back Hawaiian life. Lots of humor but also suspenseful. Tom Selleck is funny and charming and has great chemistry with the other characters, even though the idea of a down-low private investigator trailing suspects in a gleaming red Ferrari is kind of nutty.
Recently watched Enough Said with Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and James Gandolfini (his last film) and I really enjoyed their bumpy midlife romance (glad it had a happy ending though). I like the pacing, realistic dialogue, and introspection in Nicole Holofcener's films.
I'm loving Tubi today, just noticed there are some new films I'm looking forward to: Albert Brooks's Defending Your Life, Lost in America, and Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World; my favorite Billy Wilder film, Avanti! with Jack Lemmon; and Sullivan's Travels (Preston Sturges classic).
I hurt my back while in a trashcan this weekend and then got sunburnt while resting so it's been useful to lie on my bed watching movies on my VR headset.
I re-watched the first Austin Powers. Not quite as funny as I remembered but so bold for its time. Love the opening dance sequence.
Palm Springs is certainly worth all the hype. A new take on an old concept. Very funny and pretty deep in places.
I watched Bedazzled due to a slight fascination with Liz Hurley. Ended up falling in love with Brendan Fraser. He's so good!
Re-watched Gran Torino last night. Good film but I've mixed emotions about why it appeals.
CJ - Hope you're feelin' better! Wow, producers are getting vicious these days if they're tossing screenwriters into the trash instead of just scripts! ;P jk
I remember mixed feelings on Gran Torino as well, but I saw it just once (I think) a long time ago.
Recently re-re-watched a delightful and well made south Korean film entitled The Royal Tailor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Tailor Can't recommend highly enough.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the one from 1990.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Re-watch. I love the cinematography/look of this film. Also shows how charismatic Gene Wilder was considering he didn't even appear till like halfway through the runtime.
Verdict: Purchase
Currently binging (bingeing?) The Expanse. The first three seasons were really good. Gonna start the fourth this evening.
I've enjoyed watching the series Ozark - which apart from anything else, has introduced me to an area of the USA that I knew nothing about. Alas, the series has now been cancelled.
An old favourite movie I can watch over and over again - and every time I view it, I notice something new - is Local Hero (1983) by Bill Forsyth. As for the music by Dire Straits frontman, Mark Knopfler . . .
We watched two documentaries on Netflix. The first, "My Octopus Teacher" is spellbinding, very suspenseful and, in the end, heartbreaking. The second, was about the life of Leonard Nimoy made by his son, Adam. What a hard working actor. He played many characters long before the beloved Mr. Spock. Who knew "Star Trek" and the Spock character would become so successful . Certainly not the critics back in 1966. Leonard Nimoy got such a kick and laughed so hard reading their dire predictions from back then. Live long and prosper, all you Trekkies!
Persuasion (1995)
This should have been called "Weird Looks (The Movie)" lol I (sort of) respect how long they didn't explicitly mention the main romantic-relationship even after it became super obvious with all the hints... but I'm not sure how realistic that was given the relationships of the various characters. Verdict: Skip
Manor House / Edwardian Country House (2002, reality limited-series).
I don't think anyone (masters, servants or voice over, tho the Butler was probably closest) got everything right in their summations but this was so interesting and gave lots of think-about fodder from a ton of various angles. Verdict: Purchase
Forget Paris is on Tubi, a great rewatch. I think it's Billy Crystal's best movie, more enjoyable than When Harry Met Sally. Harry in that movie always seems a little too glib and unrepentant as a womanizer; but in Forget Paris he's a referee and sports nut and a lot more real as a guy's guy who falls in love with sophisticated Debra Winger while visiting Paris to bury his father. There are so many funny scenes and lines that we often quoted in the family as instant references. When the relationship turns glum it's a little depressing but because it's told in flashbacks by their friends in a restaurant you keep rooting for them to make it. Lush jazz soundtrack, great cinematography, and a wonderful ensemble of actors including Cynthia Stevenson and Julie Kavner.
Coscreenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel have collaborated with Crystal on other films and also some landmark comedies including Parenthood and A League of Their Own. There's a clip on YouTube of a speech they made when they won the WGA Laurel Award a few years ago and an overview of their career on the WGA.org site.
You asked for it, you got it...Toyota!
The Sound of Music (1965)
Re-watch, but first in like 15 years. Mostly fantastic songs, great colors... one of the best musicals put to film. The first half of the movie (up to wedding) was a little more seared into my brain than the second.
Verdict: PURCHASE
A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969)
I appreciated certain low-key aspects (vs. constant action-sequences in many newer animation films) even tho it did seem to edge a little too low-key a few times. A few sympathetic out-loud chuckles and moderately-catchy musical numbers.
Verdict = Fans of Peanuts PAID RENTAL otherwise FREE TV
Oklahoma! (1999 version)
Decided to start this on memory of the title-track being performed in one of my elementary musicals. Turned off about half-way after the main character seems to try to convince his romantic rival to kill himself in a song by preying on his low self-esteem inside a dark hut adorned with a bunch of pornographic photos. Hard pass.
The great series Mom just ended this past week with the season finale. So sorry to see it go after 8 years of amazing comedy and depth. If you haven't seen it season 4 is especially good with favorite episodes "Wind Chimes and a Bottomless Pit of Sadness" and "Bad Hand and British Royalty" (on Hulu). Good read on how writer Gemma Baker was discovered by Chuck Lorre in "How I Made It in Hollywood: Gemma Baker" in the Hollywood Reporter.
The Food That Built America (History Channel, seasons 1 & 2)
After you pick up on certain aspects of the production format those become a little rote, but definitely worth watching for anyone interested in the history of food, ww1&2 or major American brands (Heinz, Campbell Soup, Popsicle, McDonalds, etc.)
So, after finishing a new script, I'm back watching movies again.
I started with re-watching The Player. My producing partner Shane tried to show me this when I was last in LA. Sadly, I'd discovered edibles for the first time and ended up passing out on his rug thinking I was going to die. Very Hollywood. Watching it sober didn't help it make much more sense. I just do not get it. I only like Richard E Grant. I do however think the focus puller deserves a knighthood.
I then corrected my course by watching one of my all-time favourite films, Drop Dead Gorgeous. Still brilliant. Still criminally under-rated on Metacritic. Actually has five stars out of five on Amazon. Can totally see why Bring It On happened shortly after.
Shortly after, I decided to watch the previous two Austin Powers movies as I'd watched the first a couple of months back. Very hit and miss. Still genuinely funny in places but not as funny as I remembered overall.
I highly recommend Can You Ever Forgive Me? with Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant, they're a great.pair of misfits. The movie is mostly filmed in real New York settings and it's very evocative of an era that some of us may know well (ahem).
CJ, do they still give out knighthoods? You, sir, deserve one....
October Sky (1999)
The poz: - Lots of good fodder re: the father/son relationship, plus a little re: high/lower class. Jake Gyllenhaal's acting (as per usual). Follow-your-dreams + alternatively doing-what-you-need-to-do-instead-sometimes type inspiration.
Also some funny lines: ie: "I told you not to blow yourself up!" & "Who's the gift from? Grandma? - It's an autographed photo. - You got an autographed photo of Grandma?" lol
neg: a couple scenes crossed to melodrama, should have been rated PG-13 for language imo. (minor spoilers) boys did stuff that bordered on theft to fund rockets ie: selling pieces of abandoned train tracks (tho it's based on a true story so whatever happened happened, plus some of their 'hijinks' did result in a few negative(ish) consequences.)
Also didn't realize Jake was talking with two different high-school girls the whole movie till both of them were in frame near the end (lol) so either they needed to look more distinct or I needed to pay more attention (quite possibly the latter).
Verdict: borderline PAID RENTAL
Startup on Amazon Prime - a catchy little show. Only 3 seasons hopefully it gets renewed. Only thing which was annoying were the sex scenes. It gave me the impression that they ran out of plot and needed to fill the time. If you watch it you'll know what i mean - other than that, very entertaining.
One Friday night me and the family were looking for something to watch we surfed through Netflix and found Poseidon, the 2006 remake. I've seen the original so when we decided to watch it I wasn't expecting much. After about 30 minutes I was fully invested. it's fun and exciting and enough action to keep just about anyone in their seat.
Lately, I've been watching a lot of Bigfoot documentaries (don't judge me). The thing that stuck me is production value. When something is well made you notice it, and it makes the viewing experience more enjoyable, or more "truthful" in some ways, but when it's bad, it stands out in glaring detail. Youtube videos in general have a dearth of production value and many of them would do well by just buying a tripod instead of holding the phone in one hand and doing something with the other.
Lastly, Eraserhead - so bizarre I can't even explain it, but the black and white cinematography was great.
Don't laugh... but, I'm watching Superman .1 - you know, when he still wore red underpants held up by a yellow belt swing on cables around in a studio.
Little Forest, 2018, a charming Korean film on Amazon Prime (USA). Examines the parallels between cooking, gardening and finding your place in the world as a functional adult. Always fascinated by the cross-cultural commonality of the human experience.
Last night we watched The Ice Road with Liam Neeson as a truck driver. It is exciting, suspenseful, non-stop action and very watchable. How does anyone write a script like that with so much action? Storyboard? We recognised one of the "baddies", an actor from a few episodes of Seinfeld. Filmed entirely on location in Manitoba I wondered if perhaps Marven Likness was in it. I have to mention the beautiful Kenworth trucks that feature so prominently throughout.
Finished the BBC Jane Austen collection with adaptions from the 1970's & 80's. More stage play than film for most of them, which isn't all too popular a style in the USA as a general thing I think but I've always taken to it personally. My faves in the set were Persuasion (excellent) and Mansfield Park (quite good).
Watched Zodiac (2007) for like the 5th time (it is currently free on YouTube).
Currently punishing myself by watching Wynonna Earp on NetFlix - There are 3 seasons with 12-13 episodes in each season!
Hi Rabbit. Being wanting to watch it. I checked out Youtube - so many different variants to the movie. Can you post its direct link here?
Best
Barry - Here ya go!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiDuiv4G6W8 (certain limited-time free movies w/ commercials may or may not be US exclusive, I'm not sure how that all works on YT)
I watched "This Changes Everything", a documentary on Netflix. It's about gender bias in Hollywood. Callie Khourie who wrote Thelma and Louise, her first screenplay by the way, which won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, a Golden Globe Award, the PEN Literary Award, the London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year and was nominated for a BAFTA had this to say in an interview she did for a publication.
"I feel I owe aspiring writers at least the warning that they are picking maybe the hardest thing there is to do in the business. It doesn't matter how good you are. In some ways, it never really did. Bad movies get made as often as good ones, but so few movies get made now, period. If you write for a studio, you may be one of eight writers, so it's not like you can have an artistic vision of your own and achieve it solely through screenwriting. I was very lucky because Ridley really wanted to tell Thelma and Louise. He wanted to make the movie I wanted to make. But often times that's not the case at all. They think your script is a good idea and that's all. So they buy it and then they hire two or three other people to take a whack at it and it can be a very disappointing thing"
Of course I've heard variations of this before but coming from Callie Khourie it carries weight.
I really enjoyed The Comedian with Robert De Niro about an aging insult comedian trying to make a comeback. I thought it would be obnoxious and predictable but the story arc surprised me. De Niro is soulful in his character's belated growth even though unapologetic when he offends with his comedic low blows. Beautifully shot and resonant New York locations and well-written scenes that go much deeper than just moving the plot along. I think it's his best performance since Midnight Run (and Charles Grodin makes a brief appearance).
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