Andrew POE! Posted May 18 Posted May 18 6 hours ago, odessasteps said: Better to just watch Forbidden Planet than this version of the Tempest. I've seen that too and didn't remember seeing it until you mentioned it. 1
Andrew POE! Posted May 19 Posted May 19 Movies today.... Waves (Hulu, leaving on 5/21, great start to the morning) - 4.5/5 stars Spoiler I'm not exactly sure that David Ehrlich's comparison of this to Magnolia is an apt comparison. Waves is a bit more compact and focused on two characters - Tyler (Kevin Harrison Jr) and his sister Emily (Taylor Russell). Tyler is a destructive force, even before he accidentally kills his girlfriend Alexis (Alexa Demie). "Floridada" and the camera spinning around in the introductory scenes capture this nihilistic disregard of a future; feet hanging out of the car while driving. He is told to stop, he's pushed to compete, his wrestling coach expects him to do more than humanly possible, and his father Ronald (Sterling K. Brown) has expectations for him wider than he should. Emily, through the first half of the movie, is in the background. She is watching. Observing. Being silent. She is a witness to the destruction and doesn't/can't participate. The second half of the movie starts when Tyler kills Alexis, as the aspect ratio changes. Even then, there's subtle changes as he looks at his hands before driving to the party to find Alexis. The second half of the movie dwells on what happens with a family after a destructive act. Catherine (Renee Elise Goldsberry) and Ronald aren't really talking or communicating. Emily is internalizing her grief and her pain, blaming herself for what happened. She watched her brother arrive at the party, yet felt powerless. What struck me is the fact that Tyler was sentenced to life in prison. The (white) judge showed 'mercy' and now he is there for 30 years. There's something wrong with this picture; if Tyler came from a rich family in the state of Florida, he would be given less than that. It just goes back to their being 'two types of justice' in the United States; no matter what the Williams can do, no matter what houses that Ronald can build and make the community better a la Furious Styles in Boyz n the Hood, no matter what Tyler can do in wrestling and had a life ahead, they can't end up on the type of justice where he serves less. So what can be done for the Williams? I'm not sure there is anything. It leaves someone watching with the feeling of powerlessness too. Emily meets a guy named Luke (Lucas Hedges) who bumps into her in a hallway in school. The montage for Emily shows the disconnection she feels after her brother is now in prison. Later, Luke talks to her and awkwardly asks her out, with Emily agreeing. The two on their first date seem to be unable to talk to each other, which I'm not sure if that's typical of the social media generation. There is a connection between the two, but both feel unable to articulate it. Luke was on the wrestling team with Tyler and Luke tells Emily that how people treat her sucks. "Fuck them," he says. "Fuck them," she says. Through the broken hearts and grief, the two are together. Emily and Luke hang out with each other; their relationship is much more calmer and serene compared to the viv de joire et le fete of Tyler and Alexis. Director Trey Edward Shults also employs the camera panning around the interior of the car, but it's different this time. Emily and Luke decide to visit Luke's dad Bill (Neal Huff) in Missouri, where he is dying. To be honest, the story aspects for Luke and his father seems a bit undercooked compared to the Williams, but that's forgivable. They drive back and Radiohead's "True Love Waits" plays, showing everyone in their current state. The choice of using this song perfectly encapsulates the characters - Tyler is in prison, Emily and Luke are checking into a hotel room, Catherine is in her son's room and visits her son in prison, Ronald is contemplating in his office with a picture of Emily younger, Alexis' parents are standing in front of her gravestone, and Ronald and Catherine are in their son's room. The movie ends with Emily much like how it starts for her, riding her bicycle, arms free in the air. Waves as a movie is probably one of the better late 2010s movies. The command of the form and function of cinema is apparent with every choice the director makes and what cinematographer Drew Daniels does. Color plays a part in the movie, with a lot of blue coloring near the start for Tyler and Alexis, giving way to floral green for Luke and Emily. There's a sense of sadness in Tyler's scenes, even before he kills Alexis. A lot of closeup shots are used for Tyler, with a great tracking shot as he goes into the house where the post-prom party happens. With Emily, the camera is more distant and there's more midrange shots of her. During the scene with Ronald, the movie does use closeups as Ronald and Emily are crying over their shared grief and realization that they cannot control that happened, they can only move forward. Waves is a beautiful wave of a movie. Broker (Hulu, leaving on 5/24) - 4.5/5 stars Spoiler Like Hirokazu Kore-eda did with Shoplifters, Broker makes something that should be unrelatable relatable. With Shoplifters, it's a family living in Japan in abject poverty while stealing. With this, it's a 'found family,' where two men Ha Sang-hyeon (Song Kang-ho) and Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won) take babies found at a church doorstep and sell them to families. The woman that left her son Moon So-young (Lee Ji-eun) has second thoughts and decides to go back and meets the men, finding a family to take her son. Hae-jin (Im Seung-soo) joins them too from the nursery that Dong-soo was in. Investigating the men and tracking them are two police detectives Lee (Lee Joo-young) and Soo-jin (Bae Doona). The premise leads itself to being a bit unsavory given what the men do; yet through their humanity, you want to see them succeed and avoid the police. The dynamics of the 'found family' reminded me a bit of Little Miss Sunshine in some respects; their vehicle has issues and the movie acts as a 'road trip' for them to find one potential buyer to another. The detectives' investigation uncovers that So-young actually killed the baby's father and the father was an organized crime figure; So-young takes a deal with the detectives to find a place for her son, so he won't end up like her. The way the movie unfolds is surprisingly heartfelt. Dong-won's acting reminded me a bit of Adam Driver, especially in his vocal tone. I wanted to see the characters end up together, but that's not what happens. Sang-hyeon kills Shin Tae-ho (Ryu Kyung-soo) and will presumably be on the run for the rest of his life. Dong-soo is arrested as is the couple that tried to buy Woo-sung. The ending jumps ahead a few years - Woo-sung is now older with Soo-jin having adopted him. Soo-jin writes to So-young for a reunion, but So-young decides against it. She looks at the photo of the family she found; in a way, it reminded me a bit of Changeling as So-young still has hope that she will see Woo-sung again. The van drives up in a park, with the driver unknown. It's likely to be Sang-hyeon, but it's hard to say. The van drives off with a final shot on the photo of the family in the van. For the most part with this movie, I loved how Kore-eda had the movie filmed with DP Hong Kyung-pyo. Every shot is picturesque and beautiful with the South Korean locations being visually noticeable. An American In Paris (saw in the theaters) - 4/5 stars Spoiler If you watch An American in Paris with the modern lens attached, it doesn't hold up well at all. The story is almost a Hitchcockian obsession over Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron) from Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly). Mulligan is in love with Lise despite being told "No, don't call me again" and showing up at her workplace (while charming a woman trying to decide between perfumes). Mulligan essentially convinces Lise to go out with him out of sheer persistence and stalkerish behavior. Mulligan is so stuck on himself that he doesn't see the real person that's interested in him (and rich enough to fund his art!) named Milo Roberts (Nina Foch) in front of him. Jerry Mulligan is so weary of anyone offering to buy his art, that he almost refuses Milo's offer outright. Mulligan is on the look out for a scam, a fly by night; the implication prior to meeting Milo is that he had been burned before by someone offering to commission him to complete artwork in Paris. Or perhaps, Mulligan was the one doing the burning or flaking out on the commitment. Then, when Mulligan tells Milo Roberts that he's in love with Lise, she naturally is disgusted with him. Milo Roberts and Midge Wood share more similarities than first thought. Henri Baurel (Georges Guetary) is engaged and dating Lise, but he's almost too oblivious to see what's happening and to see that Mulligan is pining over his girlfriend. The scene where Henri and Jerry talking is actually a comedic scene; Adam Cook (Oscar Levant) drinks coffee, alcohol, smokes cigarettes, lights three matches for his cigarette, drops the cigarette in the coffee. All of this is to display the nervousness that Jerry Mulligan should be experiencing, but is oblivious to it. Cook has a fantasy sequence where he conducts an orchestra AND plays the piano; the sad thing with Cook is he never sees a dream fulfilled. He'll be in Paris, in his cramped apartment, trying to find fellowships to stay in Paris. Yet beyond that, An American in Paris is a completely beautiful movie. There's so much detail about the presentation, the sets, the choreography, and the costumes. Lise Bouvier's first appearance is a wonder of color selection and cinematography and likely started Jacques Demy's career (white outfit against a red background! Yellow outfit against green background! Your eyes practically melt watching it). Not to mention that she has ballet training, which is noticeable in every dance sequence. The orchestra section is a great bit of mirrored shots and camerawork to hide where Levant is. Not to mention that Levant really is highly trained as a pianist, so there's no 'stunt player' for him. "I Got Rhythm" is a great bit of Gene Kelly just dancing with child actors effortlessly. The climatic An American in Paris ballet is a completely terrific dream sequence - Mulligan has resigned himself to the fact that Lise is gone. But it's fun for him to imagine his life with her. The color correction in the costuming, the backdrops are incredibly detailed, the stand-ups during the Toulouse sequence, the finale with hundreds of people then a match cut to Mulligan on the fountain by himself. Mulligan becomes a spirit again as he picks up the rose, with the camera focusing on the rose. If the movie ended there, it would have been a perfect ending. Jerry Mulligan realized what love cost him. What obsession cost him. Why seeking a person to love and they aren't returning the favor doesn't lead to a reward. He squandered his one chance to make it in the art world because he chose his obsession over his backer, over the person that actually loved him. But that's not to be. Lise and Henri come back from the car ride with Lise running up the stairs as Jerry runs down the stairs to embrace. They end up together. Being a stalker wins. Being a creep wins. Isn't love grand? (So is a restraining order). Compared to a lot of movies of even 1951, it's fair to say that An American in Paris isn't the best movie of the year. But it's the most colorful and it's beautiful in a movie theater. The lesson to be learned from it is the craft and cinematic mastery of the form shown, just not the characters or the story. Boiling Point (1990) (Mubi, leaving on 5/31) - 3/5 stars Spoiler Boiling Point has something interesting in the first 40 minutes or so - basically, it's a yakuza movie with a character so dumb that he makes Harold and Lloyd look like geniuses named Masaki (Yurei Yanagi). His meeting Uehara (Takeshi Kitano) is almost by accident; Masaki gets the local gangster mad at him for attempting to punch him. Masaki has to approach another friend Iguchi (Gadarukanaru Taka) to approach the boss of the gangster and it looks like he has backup. The problem is the movie just stays almost in the first act for the entirety of the movie. Uehara meets Masaki and has virtually no relationship with him; the characters seem to just move from one scenario to another with Uehara plotting a form of a revenge against the gangsters he used to work with. He gets a friend of his to chop off a finger then steals guns from a weapons dealer (on a bicycle) and kills him. He goes into the boss that he made angry and kills him with an assault rifle and various other goons. Throughout the movie, there's moments of really dry dark humor. The first 20 minutes is practically hilarious as Masaki doesn't know how to play baseball at all. He's told to practice swinging 100 times a day. He eventually gets good and would have scored a homerun for his team if it weren't for the fact that he passed a teammate and was declared out. Another funny scene is at the airport where he and a friend of his pass through a metal detector with an assault rifle and the TSA there thinks someone else brought the gun through. They sneak pass and get to Tokyo. The ending is utterly bizarre as Masaki and his girlfriend take a gas truck and....blow up Otomo's real estate office. It then cycles back to the beginning. Is Masaki in a form of hell or did what happened take place in his head while he's trying to take a dump? Who knows. This movie isn't as good or as memorable as Takeshi Kitano's later movies, but it's interesting. 3
Andrew POE! Posted May 20 Posted May 20 Movies today.... Forty Shades of Blue (Mubi, leaving on 5/31) - 3/5 stars Spoiler While watching Forty Shades of Blue, I couldn't help but to think about Donald Trump and his marriages to much younger (and foreign) women along with the numerous older men in business, entertainment, and politics also marrying younger women. There's an element of 'grooming' happening. The age difference between the men and the women implies prostitution or sexual favors in exchange of something else, like security or citizenship in the United States. With this, it's difficult to determine if such a relationship is happening with Alan James (Rip Torn) and Laura (Dina Korzun), his girlfriend from Russia. Based on what I've described, there likely is. Laura had met Alan at a music conference while working as a translator; whether there is a mutual attraction isn't really shown in the movie. What Ira Sachs' camera focuses on is Laura separate from everything else, drawing comparisons to Antonioni's women like another review noted. It also called to mind Richard Benjamin's Diary of a Mad Housewife, although there isn't any abuse to Laura, just abandonment. Complicating things is the arrival of Alan's older son Michael (Darren E. Burrows). There is an attraction between Michael and Laura despite the implications and despite Michael being married with a child on the way. The movie never really has Michael and Laura's 'doomed romance' really result in any sparks or in Alan finding out and confronting him. Alan seems to be raging at everything else, like during a recording session, or drunk publicly. We never really see what Alan does alone or away from Laura; it's implied that he's having affairs with other women that Laura doesn't seem privy to. The movie progresses and eventually Alan proposes to Laura at a party with Michael offering congratulations that are more of a backhanded compliment than a sincere display of affection. Afterwards, Alan walks up to a random group of people while drunk and tells them how music is important to him; they just stare and laugh awkwardly. Laura then goes off with another man on an ATV and makes out with him. Michael ends the affair with Laura and leaves with his wife for the airport. Alan knocks over things on a table, but there's no real confrontation after that. Alan and Laura are riding in a car at the end of the movie, with Alan telling Laura about a gig in Germany. Laura starts crying and gets out when Alan comes to a stop. She walks off down the street, the movie ending on a freeze frame while a train whistle blows. Compared to Ira Sachs' other movies I've seen of his, the drama in this tends to be a bit underplayed. It would be fair to consider the movie a bit boring; there are no fireworks or marital disruption. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf this ain't. The relationship between Alan and Laura falls apart, but there's no lasting impact. Laura will continue to live her life with Alan, with the convenience and comfort she is expecting. She will likely have affairs in the future, as will Alan. It just won't be shown. The Living End (Mubi, leaving on 5/31) - 3.5/5 stars Spoiler Having started with Gregg Araki in one of his more mainstream movies (White Bird in a Blizzard), going to The Living End is wild. The movie seems like something Jean Luc Godard would approve of (or at least chuckle at someone doing). The story for it consists of Jon (Craig Gilmore) and Luke (Mike Dytri) having parallel paths until they meet after Luke kills three men with baseball bats over his sexual orientation. Luke has a swagger of James Dean and veers between loving Jon and being nearly psychotic. The story path has them engaging in mutually assured wanton destruction as they travel together; Jon has been diagnosed with AIDS and Luke is a drifter with no roots or connections. With the movie, it's not really about their backstories as it is about where they are going, the assorted people they see in Los Angeles, and traveling. I have to admire Gregg Araki for simply setting up a camera and having his actors stand in front of a car or a graffiti area and the story being in the dialogue. At times, the story seems to be one thing - Luke causes problems, Jon has to deal with the problems while getting sicker and sicker. Within the movie, there's elements of Kiarostami's Iranian cinema where the car is the centralized location for the movie taking place and "car as a confessional." As Jon and Luke drive around Los Angeles and eventually on the road trip to Wyoming, they confess to each other what they feel about the nature of death and the nature of an early death. With gay cinema, it seems a fascination and preoccupation with death is a noticeable trait. Even then, it's an interesting movie to watch although it tended to run out of steam a bit. Singin' in the Rain (saw in the theaters) - 5/5 stars Spoiler There's a reason why Singin' in the Rain is considered a classic. Why Francois Truffaut and Alain Resnais loved it and watched it numerous times. It positively is one of the best American / Hollywood movie ever made. It signifies what the Hollywood system is at its best and what it can accomplish. It's a musical with characters (!), character arcs (!!), a story arc (!!!) and characterization (!!!!). Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) is different from the end that he is at the start of the movie; he changes and grows as a character and realizes what's important, what's always been important, was "Dignity. Always dignity." Singin' in the Rain functions as a metaphor for Hollywood. It manages to be incredibly witty and hilarious with a dry sense of humor and a statement about the nature of celebrity. As Lockwood recounts how he got to be starring in a movie with Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), it follows the path of Hollywood in the silent era with many of its actors. They didn't need to speak their lines to act; they just make facial expressions and body gestures to do so. Meeting Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) challenged his notion of acting; Selden is a classically trained stage actor, citing Shakespeare and Ibsen. Nowadays, both would be commodities in Hollywood. Today's Hollywood apparently doesn't have their younger talent being able to sing, dance, or act ('the triple threat' as is said later); they just need to become 'viral' and 'have Instagram followers.' In a way, Lamont would fit in with this generation; she would probably post 'fit checks' every day with her Born Yesterday Brooklyn accent. The greatest threat to Hollywood in this is the 'talkie,' with The Jazz Singer being released. The concern over movies having sound is at first dismissed, until The Jazz Singer becomes a success. Much of the talk about 'talkies' is a bit like the talk today about AI in films. (Thankfully, there hasn't been "The Jazz Singer moment" with AI. Yet.). So seeing the sea change, R.F. Simpson (Millard Mitchell) orders The Dueling Cavalier to be done in sound with hilarious results (the sound doesn't match the picture, the voices end switched). Don, Kathy, and Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) saves the movie with turning it into a musical (during the incredible sequence of "Good Morning") and the plan is hatched. Much like An American in Paris, there's an utterly fantastic sequence for "Broadway Melody" and includes an incredibly great wide angle shot of Kelly with a dancer having a long flowing tail on her dress. Seeing the sequence in theaters is just incredible to watch. Once everything is done, Lina gets word that Kathy is dubbing her voice and singing as her. It's too late for there to be a change as the movie debuts, fixed as a musical. What's interesting is how Lina is portrayed as a 'villain,' but not really due to her being a woman. Don makes the distinction between her and Kathy; Kathy is just trying to catch a break in Hollywood while Lina is trying to stomp out anyone that would top her. The sequence at the end where Lina finally speaks and then Kathy 'sings' shows that Linda's own actions are her undoing. That clears the way for Don to declare his love for Kathy as the movie ends with them kissing in front of a sign for their movie Singin' in the Rain. This movie is an acting, technical, writing, and filmmaking marvel to watch. I really loved the "Beautiful Girl" sequence where the costumes for the women actually match items in the background due to coloring. The famous "Singin' in the Rain" sequence is a culmination of a character changing their feelings for another character; it's not said in dialogue, but it's done in song and in dance. What a glorious thing to watch Singin' in the Rain. Twister (HBO Max, leaving on 5/31) - 3.5/5 stars Spoiler Twister is very much a 'summer blockbuster' slice of Spielbergian filmmaking (given that Spielberg was the executive producer that makes sense). It feels almost like Jurassic Park in some ways - whereas the 'enemy' in this isn't the CGI dinosaurs, but the CGI tornadoes. Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton won't make up for Sam Neill and Laura Dern, but the dynamics for them as an ex-couple is different and a bit more caustic. What seems to be at play in Twister is the sense of 'survivor's guilt' for Hunt's character Dr. Jo Harding. Dr. Harding saw her father get sucked into a tornado at the start of the movie and that seems to fuel her quest to gather data with "Dorothy," a portable sensor device that's supposed to provide an earlier warning system. Bill (Bill Paxton) arrives with his fiancee Melissa (Jami Gertz) in tow to give Dr. Harding divorce papers. Competing with them is Jonas (Cary Elwes), who ripped off the design with corporate sponsorship. To be honest, the movie's premise isn't that interesting; it does feel like a Steven Spielberg 'ghost directed' movie as it has some themes familiar to Spielberg's filmmaking style. Director Jan de Bont is decidedly different with how he films the movie; there are a lot of great wide angle shots. de Bont is more at home with doing action setpiece moments like the initial close call with the tornado under the bridge and the death scene where Jonas is killed in a tornado. What's interesting is how many people involved in the movie as secondary characters like Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Dusty, Jeremy Davies as Laurence (Davies seems to make a career out of playing nearly inarticulate weird guys sadly) and Alan Ruck as "Rabbit." Twister won't blow anyone away, but it doesn't need to. Kaboom (Mubi, leaving on 5/31) - 1.5/5 stars Spoiler Kaboom had so much that would have worked going for it. If it stuck with its premise, a gay/hetero curious college student named Smith (Thomas Dekker) trying to decide if he likes boys or girls while dealing with the demands of college, it would had something. Most college 'coming of age' stories are rarely told; the best we get is PCU or National Lampoon's Animal House. Having a main character going to college parties, taking drugs, having sex, having their heart broken, and trying to decide their future is relatable. It's just that's not what the movie does. It feels like Gregg Araki felt self-conscious about what the movie needed to be. So more gets added. The characters that Smith meet like London (Juno Temple), Oliver (Brennan Meija), Thor (Chris Mylka), and Hunter (Jason Olive) among others seem so incidental for the story. Had the movie stuck with the 'coming of age' narrative, Smith would have learned from meeting them and came away feeling more fulfilled as a person. But the movie adds a subplot with Stella (Haley Bennett) having a relationship/breakup with Lorelei (Roxanne Mesquida). Smith has sex with London after meeting her at a party upon taking drugs. A huge conspiratorial plot is started in the middle of the movie with Smith finding an USB stick, then being drugged and finding it gone. Then someone IMs him and directs him to a website where everything is revealed. And Lorelei somehow possesses Smith to talk with Stella. Then the last 10 minutes of the movie happen and....it's the most craziest exposition dump I've ever seen. The incidental characters are now part of a 'secret society' that have been following Smith because 'he's the Chosen Son.' Oliver and The Messiah (James Duval) are the counter agents against Thor, Hunter, and Rex (Andy Fischer-Price), some guy that appeared in a few scenes when London and Smith ask him about his being gay then showing up in a threesome. Oh, and London and Smith are half siblings. Gross. The movie doesn't make any fucking sense by the end. The two vans nearly go off a bridge and....Smith's dad presses a button to blow up the world. It's a bit like the ending to Save The Green Planet, except just terrible. I give Gregg Araki credit for doing this movie and doing something with a budget, but holy shit he didn't trust himself at all or possibly trust his audience. I really wish he stuck with the premise - a Love, Simon for the college set. Everything just looks bad - the effects/editing is borderline amateurish, the acting is really terrible (although Juno Temple borders on Amanda Donohoe like comfort with nudity). The story reveals and the overall story is a first draft that should have been redone. Kaboom is just a disappointment all around. 1
odessasteps Posted May 20 Posted May 20 One of the streams I watch had a discussion about Twister recently, as I said there, a perfect serviceable summer blockbuster. also … 2
J.H. Posted May 20 Posted May 20 (edited) The Other Guys - I laughed. I may have laughed more than I expected to. Also, the MVP in this is Michael Keaton. Goddam he was funny in this! That's all I got to say James Edited May 22 by J.H. 3
HarryArchieGus Posted May 20 Posted May 20 (edited) 14 hours ago, Andrew POE! said: Singin' in the Rain (saw in the theaters) - 5/5 stars Reveal hidden contents There's a reason why Singin' in the Rain is considered a classic. Why Francois Truffaut and Alain Resnais loved it and watched it numerous times. It positively is one of the best American / Hollywood movie ever made. It signifies what the Hollywood system is at its best and what it can accomplish. It's a musical with characters (!), character arcs (!!), a story arc (!!!) and characterization (!!!!). Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) is different from the end that he is at the start of the movie; he changes and grows as a character and realizes what's important, what's always been important, was "Dignity. Always dignity." Singin' in the Rain functions as a metaphor for Hollywood. It manages to be incredibly witty and hilarious with a dry sense of humor and a statement about the nature of celebrity. As Lockwood recounts how he got to be starring in a movie with Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), it follows the path of Hollywood in the silent era with many of its actors. They didn't need to speak their lines to act; they just make facial expressions and body gestures to do so. Meeting Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) challenged his notion of acting; Selden is a classically trained stage actor, citing Shakespeare and Ibsen. Nowadays, both would be commodities in Hollywood. Today's Hollywood apparently doesn't have their younger talent being able to sing, dance, or act ('the triple threat' as is said later); they just need to become 'viral' and 'have Instagram followers.' In a way, Lamont would fit in with this generation; she would probably post 'fit checks' every day with her Born Yesterday Brooklyn accent. The greatest threat to Hollywood in this is the 'talkie,' with The Jazz Singer being released. The concern over movies having sound is at first dismissed, until The Jazz Singer becomes a success. Much of the talk about 'talkies' is a bit like the talk today about AI in films. (Thankfully, there hasn't been "The Jazz Singer moment" with AI. Yet.). So seeing the sea change, R.F. Simpson (Millard Mitchell) orders The Dueling Cavalier to be done in sound with hilarious results (the sound doesn't match the picture, the voices end switched). Don, Kathy, and Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) saves the movie with turning it into a musical (during the incredible sequence of "Good Morning") and the plan is hatched. Much like An American in Paris, there's an utterly fantastic sequence for "Broadway Melody" and includes an incredibly great wide angle shot of Kelly with a dancer having a long flowing tail on her dress. Seeing the sequence in theaters is just incredible to watch. Once everything is done, Lina gets word that Kathy is dubbing her voice and singing as her. It's too late for there to be a change as the movie debuts, fixed as a musical. What's interesting is how Lina is portrayed as a 'villain,' but not really due to her being a woman. Don makes the distinction between her and Kathy; Kathy is just trying to catch a break in Hollywood while Lina is trying to stomp out anyone that would top her. The sequence at the end where Lina finally speaks and then Kathy 'sings' shows that Linda's own actions are her undoing. That clears the way for Don to declare his love for Kathy as the movie ends with them kissing in front of a sign for their movie Singin' in the Rain. This movie is an acting, technical, writing, and filmmaking marvel to watch. I really loved the "Beautiful Girl" sequence where the costumes for the women actually match items in the background due to coloring. The famous "Singin' in the Rain" sequence is a culmination of a character changing their feelings for another character; it's not said in dialogue, but it's done in song and in dance. What a glorious thing to watch Singin' in the Rain. The last time I saw this masterpiece was on a rainy Sunday afternoon at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. A beautiful memory. 1 hour ago, J.H. said: The Other Guys - I laughed. I may have laughed more than I expected to. Also, the MVP in this Michael Keaton. Goddam he was funny in this! Yep, this one punched above its weight. Will Farrell was on a run coming off Step Brothers, Semi-Pro and (the best example of a bad movie made better by Farrell in this era) Land of the Lost. He'd also just begun his Flair inspired role as Ashley Schaeffer (BMW) on Eastbound & Down. Director McKay tries to transplant the Wahlberg character from the Departed. He's far better and funnier in the Departed, but fine here. I remember Eva Mendes being a lot of fun. So too the Rock/Jackson team. Yeah, I've long loved the comedy stylings of Michael Keaton. Edited May 20 by HarryArchieGus 2
Tabe Posted May 20 Posted May 20 5 hours ago, J.H. said: The Other Guys - I laughed. I may have laughed more than I expected to. Also, the MVP in this Michael Keaton. Goddam he was funny in this! That's all I got to day James Love this movie. So dang funny. At the opening with Sam and the Rock is brilliant.
Andrew POE! Posted May 21 Posted May 21 Movies today.... Beaches (Hulu, leaving on 5/31) - 3/5 stars Spoiler If Beaches had been more about the childhood friendship of C.C. Bloom (Mayim Bialik) and Hillary Whitney (Marcie Leeds), it would had something. The framing device of it being present day with the adult C.C. Bloom (Bette Milder) leaving her concert to drive to San Francisco for her friend Hillary Whitney (Barbara Hershey) isn't as good as it should be. The way the story is told is in flashback; both characters are actually a bit hard to relate to. Whitney grew up rich and with riding horses and going to fancy restaurants, while Bloom is determined to succeed in entertainment with a 'stage mother' that's a bit overbearing named Leona (Lainie Kazan). The movie doesn't really focus on how the characters get to be the way they are, just what they do as adults. The whole impetus of the story is their correspondence as pen pals. What Hillary Whitney finds is that the life she thought she was supposed to lead isn't what she wanted; she leaves Stanford to go to NYC and lives with C.C. Bloom in a cramped apartment. Bloom has a hard scrabbled existence of going to auditions and being a 'singing telegram' until she meets theater director John Pierce (John Heard). Whitney works for the ACLU in New York and dates/marries Michael Essex (James Read). To be honest, their lives in New York and the relationship drama between the two isn't that interesting. They are completely unlikable, with Bloom being selfish and demanding and Whitney being passive aggressive and vindictive. The department store scene seems this is where they would end with each other. But what a scene it is. Eventually, Whitney has a child named Victoria (Grace Johnston) and learns she has an incurable disease; what's interesting is how Whitney acts toward Victoria is very much like how she was treated as a child. The movie never really dwells on that; Victoria is a bit privileged as well. I felt bad for the cat, which was obviously drugged up to appear completely docile as Victoria puts clothes on the cat, holds it all the time, and shoves it into a carrier. The cat probably had no clue what the fuck was going on. Eventually, the last fifteen minutes get back to the start as Bloom has arrived in San Francisco and visits with Whitney before she dies. To be honest, the best part of the movie is the montage scene with Nanci Griffith's "Wind Beneath My Wings" as it shows Whitney's funeral and the aftermath for Victoria. Going back to the child acting for the movie, the best scene was the scene between Victoria and Bloom as C.C. Bloom reveals that Victoria's mom wanted her to live with Bloom. The ending being a song that Bloom sings as a 'final goodbye' to Whitney then their photo booth days isn't bad as an ending. For the most part, Beaches is a bit okay as a drama. A lot of it is carried with Midler and Hershey doing what they can with truly unlikable characters who somehow became friends. It doesn't do anything really that unique as a drama with how it's filmed; Gerry Marshall seems to make a movie that's 'safe as possible' even with the subject matter and with it being about two people living lives that most of us can't connect to. I imagine the movie would be different if both characters were from working class backgrounds, but having the struggles of an entertainer and a lawyer apparently sells more. It's not an alright classic like Pretty Woman is or even a great character drama like Frankie & Johnny is. It's just okay. The Last Station (Hulu, leaving on 5/31) - 3.5/5 stars Spoiler The Last Station is very much like a lot of other period/costume dramas from Sony Pictures Classics that I thoroughly enjoy, although the performances in this seem a bit more emotional than usual. Having Christopher Plummer as Leo Tolstoy and Helen Mirren as his wife Sofya lends itself to be more of a meditation on the nature of old age in a relationship and what can breakup this relationship. A lot of the conflict with the movie is Tolstoy wanting to listen to Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) about giving his copyrights away through a will and Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy) being caught in the middle. Valentin listens to Sofya's concerns about Tolstoy giving away everything in their estate while not in the right frame of mind. Sofya is prone to outbursts, especially in the scene where she climbs up to the patio and barges in while Chertkov, Bulgakov, and Sasha (Anne-Marie Duff) are deciding what to do with Tolstoy in the room. The movie is exquisitely filmed as all period dramas seem to be. A lot of the movie has great shots of the estate and rooms that Tolstoy live in. Two of the pivotal scenes are Bulgakov having sex with Masha (Kerry Condon) by lamplight and Tolstoy and Sofya making chicken noises and laughing on the bed. The soundtrack is especially inspired as it seems to come into the scenes at the right moment. The soundtrack especially towards the end of the movie as Tolstoy is dying was especially great. For the most part, The Last Station is a slightly above average period drama with great performances. Irrational Man (Hulu, leaving on 5/31) - 4/5 stars Spoiler It's interesting how something like Luca Guadagnino's After The Hunt fed into this. While that movie was about a college professor in the age of #metoo, this is about a philosophy professor named Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) deciding to murder a judge after overhearing a conversation with a student/girlfriend Jill Pollard (Emma Stone). What propels the movie forward is the crisis that Lucas feels he has in his life. He has no eagerness to do anything, even after being hired as a professor. He drinks, he barely shows up for class, and he passively begins an affair with Rita Richards (Parker Posey). The way Woody Allen does this movie is have voice over narrations from Lucas and from Jill Pollard throughout the movie; Lucas' narration is more concerned with the right he feel he has to murder Judge Spangler (Tom Kemp) and the means to do so. Jill Pollard talks more about the attraction she feels toward Abe Lucas and her interest toward his philosophy class. She begins to suspect that Abe did it when things started popping up that Abe Lucas tries to conceal - the conversation with Rita, one of the students telling her that she spotted him in a lab with a key, and the copy of Crime & Punishment having a note with the judge's name in it. In comparison to After The Hunt, Jill's parents Mr. and Mrs. Pollard (Neelix, I mean Ethan Phillips, Betsy Aidem) didn't find their relationship poor form or unusual; they seem to welcome them as a couple in their home. The dinner time scene where they laid out how the murder happened calls back to Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt. The conclusion of the movie has Abe messing with the elevator where Jill has her piano lessons and attempts to throw her down the elevator shaft. He slips on the flashlight that he won with Jill at a carnival game (somewhat calling back to Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train) and gets killed. Jill's voiceover notes that this was something that "was taught in a philosophy textbook." Irrational Man for the most part as a movie is a great effort from Woody Allen and I found it interesting. Compared to Norte, End of History, which is about a similar Dostoevsky lead character, this is a bit more precise in its story and its characters. The narration leads the audience through the characters' thought process. The Lady in the Van (Hulu, leaving on 5/31) - 3/5 stars Spoiler A movie about a gay playwright living alone named Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) and a homeless woman calling herself "Miss Mary Shepherd" (Maggie Smith) wouldn't lend itself to being that interesting, but somehow it manages. What the movie seems to be at its core is the nagging sense of loneliness and finding meaning from doing things alone. Bennett's relationship with Ms. T Shepherd is of mystery and confounded nature. Bennett learns less about Shepherd while she is alive than when she is dead. What's interesting is Bennett's character is almost like Charlie Kaufman in Adaptation, where he imagines himself having a 'twin' in his head that is more confident and forthcoming than he actually is. The difference between the two is one wears a tie and one doesn't. As Bennett learns more, he discovers the health issues that she has. Ms. Shepherd is taken to a day centre to be cleaned while Bennett meets Shepherd's brother and discovers that she had been a concert pianist. She had also earlier spoken to Bennett in French upon finding a Michelin book about Paris. Upon Shepherd's return, she dies in the van when a social worker finds her the next day. After the funeral, Bennett learns of what happened to Ms. Shepherd; she had struck someone while fleeing a mental hospital and presumed herself to be at fault. The combination of her mental health issues and her Catholic nun training made me believe to be on the run for the rest of her life. She attends confession even in her frail state and prays in the van every night. What struck me about this movie is how it likely wouldn't have happened in America. It's even extraordinary for it happen in Camden Town, a noted rich area of London. The movie brings up a point about the nature of mental health, homelessness, and those homeless fearing law enforcement. Within the United States, a common occurrence is for homeless encampments to seemingly 'disappear' in major cities; those that are in them may have been threatened to leave with jail or possibly murder. What then happens to those who refused to vacate? Are they taken to jail, taken to another city and become another city's problems (like some governors in states like Texas have done), or possibly inhumanely murdered and disposed of? With The Lady in the Van, what's important is an effect a person has on another, regardless of economics. As Alan Bennett puts it towards the end of the movie, "you don't put yourself into what you write. You find yourself there." The drawback with this movie is it does appear to be a standard British drama, but I did like the cinematography choices made to have the lenses to have a soft focus and the yellow coloring appearing everywhere. The Duke of Burgundy (Mubi, leaving on 5/31) - 4/5 stars Spoiler Somewhere near The Wachowskis' Bound and Sebastian Lelio's Disobedience is The Duke of Burgundy. The movie is about a couple Evelyn (Chiara D'Anna) and Cynthia (Sidse Babell Knudsen) exploring BDSM as the movie repeats their routines as a lady of the house and a housekeeper. The movie is visually stunning and experimental; director Peter Strickland does a lot novel ways to do scenes and uses a lot of nature photography for the movie. Evelyn being a student of lepidopterology plays into it; she attends lectures with Cynthia; the camera focuses on the lecturers, almost to have them be an object of jealousy for Cynthia. What's interesting is that a lot of what Cynthia does is to please Evelyn; she does get angry at Evelyn for what she perceives as cheating on her. Evelyn went to another lecturer and clean her boots, yet according to Evelyn, nothing happened. What's interesting is the strain of the relationship being found in Cynthia's back pain, which appears a lot for her. Cynthia feels a sense of guilt over the relationship and how the relationship is with roles they play for each other, complete with scripts written. It's difficult to tell if the skeleton locked in the trunk was really Evelyn or if this were a dream. Eventually, Cynthia breaks down and cries in front of Evelyn. Evelyn tells Cynthia that she loves her, next showing the trunk being carried away and the two enjoying each other in a field. The ending is a bit difficult to tell if it's a flash back to the cycle again as Evelyn knocks on the door to be let in or if it's after Cynthia declared her love. Cynthia hesitates in answering. Director Peter Strickland made a movie that stylistically is similar to a lot of 1970s films. There's elements of Jean Rollin and Stephanie Rothman's work to The Duke of Burgundy; Strickland does something that appears similar to the lesbian movies of the 1970s, but a bit more modern too. It can be complained that the movie was a tad slow. 1
Andrew POE! Posted May 22 Posted May 22 Selected movies today.... How To Survive A Plague (Mubi, leaving on 5/31) - 4/5 stars Spoiler It can be argued that How to Survive a Plague as a documentary is rather limited in its scope. It focuses only on the loudest voices, the voices that are the most rich, the voices that aren't POC. The documentary is biased and is only magnifying one viewpoint. Which is true. But to do so would distract from what this documentary is doing. The documentary does an overall view of the AIDS activism from ACT UP and TAG and how it started. Every so often as the years pass, the number of people dying from AIDS would appear on screen and the number would climb higher. What seems to be at the heart of the documentary is the fact that the United States has always had a hatred for science to benefit a wider, public good. It's not just people like Ronald Reagan dragging their feet and letting people get killed, it's people like Jesse Helms standing on the floor of the Senate and essentially using the Bible to justify letting people get killed because he didn't agree with their life style. There's also the simple inaction of George H.W. Bush who allows it to continue while claiming in a debate to be bothered that AIDS was killing people. One sequence with Bush playing golf was set to a popular song a la Michael Moore in Fahrenheit 9/11. There's also one of the activists appearing on a show on CNN where it's 'on the left' and 'on the right' against the activist, but really it's one side with different labels attacking one person. Through the video footage of news broadcasts and the politicians' own words, it can wondered if the politicians want AIDS to kill people so that fewer people voting against them will be able to show up at the voting booths. It's a strategy the Republicans are doing today, but it shifted. It became Covid-19 and now it's ICE grabbing people off the streets and taking them to camps or out right gunning them down. You can't lose power if the opposition isn't there to stop it. The documentary shows that the AIDS activists have to engage in civil disobedience. They have to sit down in the middle of the street, arms locked together. They have to hang banners over the NIH headquarters. They have spread ashes over the gates at the White House. The display has to be public to cause embarrassment. At the time, those in power were embarrassed and did do something or made a more overt display in response. Bill Clinton talking to an activist and pointing out that the comments were personal to him prompted something; it's likely the promise of change from him lead to his being elected. (Sidenote: it's interesting that Dr. Anthony Fauci was hated even then and there were a scene of "Fuck Fauci" during a protest. Dr. Fauci was also hated during the coronavirus outbreak with the conspiratorial theories propagated from RFK Jr and others about his involvement with that outbreak. The more things change....) The protests and activism is as close to France 1968 as the United States would get; it was only with a portion of the population, but that population grew larger. As more people died, the portion grew. Eventually, the groups involved got the right message to the right people at the right time and got things done. 1995 seemed to mark a turning point - the montage at the end showed those involved still surviving due to the drug treatment now available. The movie does denote that this is mostly an economic disparity issue - those who don't have the money will die. After all, one drug cost $10,000 per year to be able to buy. The documentary ends with a guarded hopefulness as it shows what the activists are now doing in 2012. Hopefully, that hope isn't in vain. Watched Casa Roshell on Mubi. Top Gun: Maverick (saw in the theaters) - 5/5 stars Spoiler Top Gun: Maverick isn't like Top Gun at all. It builds off of it and has Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) remembering his past and seeing his 'wingman' "Goose" get killed (complete with footage from the first movie). The ghosts of the past haunting seems to be the story the movie is going for this time. In a way, "Maverick" is more like another Cruise character - Ethan Hunt. Much of the movie is constructed like a Mission: Impossible movie - Hunt, I mean "Maverick" is having to train the next generation of fighter pilots in the Top Gun program for a dangerous mission against an unnamed country that has uranium. The mission has to be done in three weeks. The new recruits have names like "Fanboy' (Danny Ramirez), and "Payback" (Jay Ellis), and "Bob" (Lewis Pullman). They are a bit generic and maybe character less for the most part - the only ones that seem to stand out is Lt Jake "Hangman" Seresin (if you combined Cruise and Val Kilmer into one person named Glenn Powell) and Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller). "Rooster" is the son of "Goose" from the original (why not "Duck," you might be thinking?). The story in this has "Maverick" putting the recruits in their paces and finding that they aren't meeting the goals - they aren't hitting the target, they aren't climbing high enough, they are jeopardizing the mission. Yet after one of the pilots nearly gets killed, "Maverick" is pulled with Vice Admiral Beau Simpson (Jon Hamm) leading the training; "Maverick" steals a plane and completes the 'bombing run' mission himself. "Maverick" is then picked to lead the crew for the mission. Besides that story thread, there's a story thread about "Maverick" seeing people he hasn't seen in awhile. Although to be honest, Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly) wasn't even in the first movie, but it's nice that the girl from Labyrinth was a love interest for "Maverick." It's also nice that the movie has two above the age of 40 characters have a romantic interest, which isn't seen that often in movies. Usually, the temptation is to have the main character romance a younger woman, like Amelia Benjamin (Lyliana Wray). (Which is really really fucking gross to think about). "Maverick" also sees Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky (Val Kilmer), who lost the use of his voice except for a few lines. "The Navy needs Maverick," he tells "Maverick." The cameo was a bit sad given what happened to Kilmer and the fact that it's his final appearance (at least until AI). After that scene, there's beach football, which completely lacks any form of sexual tension whatsoever. ("Maverick" isn't riding a motorcycle covered in sweat to see Kelly McGillis). Once the movie has "Maverick" and the team (including "Rooster") going to Unknown Country That Has Snow And Mountains And Might Be Afghanistan or Russia But Who Knows We Aren't Saying (UCTHSAMAMBAORBWKWAS if you will), it turns into a thrill ride. Director Joseph Kosinski racks up the tension as "Maverick" with "Rooster" as his wingman along with Lt Natasha "Phoenix" Trace (Monica Barbaro), "Bob," "Fanboy" and "Payback" to attack the targets. They nearly don't succeed and end up succeeding. The uranium is destroyed, but "Rooster" is about to get hit with a missile. "Maverick" sacrifices his jet to save him. "Maverick" is thought to be lost and is about to get gunned down by a helicopter when "Rooster" saves him. "Rooster" gets shot down and it briefly becomes Behind Enemy Lines. "You didn't think!" "That's what you told me to do!" as "Rooster" and "Maverick" stare at each other in the forest. Somehow, they are able to steal a jet and fly out of there and are disguised as the enemy until "Maverick" guns down a plane and a dogfight ensues. "Hangman" is able to save them when they are near the aircraft carrier and they land the pilot with no front landing gear. The scene on the carrier is almost a recreation of the final scene in Top Gun, except "Maverick" and "Goose" are standing triumphant in the end. The movie's ending has "Maverick" flying off with Penny in an airplane. Top Gun: Maverick does a lot of the tricks that Kosinski would employ with F1. The movie is pure visual spectacle and story wise it's actually better than F1. It's definitely better than Top Gun. There's a sheer visceral thrill to see the camera on Cruise's face as he goes up in the jet, his reaction to G's against his skin. Top Gun: Maverick is definitely worth seeing in a theater. Butterfly in the Sky (Netflix, leaving on 5/23) - 4/5 stars Spoiler It's weird, but I never really watched Reading Rainbow growing up. My home life didn't really afford me the luxury of being able to sit down and watch episodes of it. It would be return from school, get started on homework, listen to my mother complain about whatever on the phone with one of her friends and attempting to make supper, sister would dominate the tv and watch Power Rangers/VR Troopers/Barney, sister would take over on supper and finish it, then my dad would dominate the television and promptly fall asleep while doing so. Then it's supper, time for bed, dad falling asleep watching Friday the 13th again. Watching this documentary, it's amazing how much of it was 'the sausage making' of the show and what lead into the show. LeVar Burton doing the show was on account of his being in Roots and not really due to the fact that he needed to be on it. Then as he settles in, the show becomes his and the type of show he wanted to do. What is striking about the documentary and the discussion of Reading Rainbow is how much of the episodes were 'mini documentaries' about the subjects of the episodes. It's no wonder the director of the episodes Dean Parisot went on to direct movies too. The clips of the 9/11 episode seem really powerful. The documentary is a bit standard, but it's amazing to watch the progression the show took, the challenges it faced, and what happened to the people involved with the show after it ended. Passenger (saw in the theaters) - 2.5/5 stars Spoiler Marginally better than most of what Paramount/Skydance does for horror movies recently, Passenger is the only horror movie I know of that uses Nomadland, Under The Skin, and Skinamarink to weave its story together. The story is a bit below average than usual as the movie has Tyler (Jacob Scipio) and Maddie (Lou Llobell) going on a road trip together with Maddie keeps thinking she is encountering The Passenger (Joseph Lopez). A chance encounter with Diana (Melissa Leo) has her wondering if the apparition is a ghost that was triggered from another set of motorists killed at the start of the movie. The problem with Passenger is the fact that it attempts to explain what happens. The Passenger at times made me wonder if it would end up being similar to the Australian horror movie The Hitcher, but it's a demonic figure having to do with St. Chirstopher at the start of the movie. Occasionally, the movie would find something really great, like the sequence where the couple is watching Roman Holiday and Maddie is pointing the projector towards the Passenger. Gregory Peck is projected into the darkness and the Passenger appears (which reminded me a bit of the imagery from Liars' music video for "Plaster Casts of Everything.") To be honest, the visuals of the movie at night referenced that band's music video a bit. There's also a really great tracking shot in the parking lot where Maddie is walking towards the van and the van gets further and further away as the camera pans around her. The movie does a few great hand-held shots with people and locations as well. Passenger won't really travel well. Dad & Step-Dad (Mubi, leaving on 5/31) - 2.5/5 stars Spoiler Brian Fiddyment as Branson doesn't deliver a powerfully understated performance that doesn't feel very lived-in. I can wait to see more from this not-dynamic actor. The humor of the movie feels like something from people that binge watched Anchorman/Talladega Nights/Step Brothers/The Other Guys endlessly for months on end. Those movies were observed into their blood. So the thought came up that "hey, we can fucking do it too" and they just recorded things that happened on screen. The jokes sometimes land (the masturbation talk in the woods is hilarious, they finding a drawing of a fox with large breasts is also hilarious), but most of the time it just spins its wheels. The movie feels like something you'd find on Adult Swim before Tim & Eric or Metalpocalpse. NOTE: Stole the paragraph above from the actual review for this movie from one of the actors in this movie (Brian Fuddyman or something). I probably made him mad. Or he'll look at my Letterboxd page and be like, "Have you seen the sun lately? It shines overhead." 2
HarryArchieGus Posted May 22 Posted May 22 (edited) On 5/20/2026 at 11:31 PM, Andrew POE! said: Irrational Man (Hulu, leaving on 5/31) - 4/5 stars Reveal hidden contents It's interesting how something like Luca Guadagnino's After The Hunt fed into this. While that movie was about a college professor in the age of #metoo, this is about a philosophy professor named Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) deciding to murder a judge after overhearing a conversation with a student/girlfriend Jill Pollard (Emma Stone). What propels the movie forward is the crisis that Lucas feels he has in his life. He has no eagerness to do anything, even after being hired as a professor. He drinks, he barely shows up for class, and he passively begins an affair with Rita Richards (Parker Posey). The way Woody Allen does this movie is have voice over narrations from Lucas and from Jill Pollard throughout the movie; Lucas' narration is more concerned with the right he feel he has to murder Judge Spangler (Tom Kemp) and the means to do so. Jill Pollard talks more about the attraction she feels toward Abe Lucas and her interest toward his philosophy class. She begins to suspect that Abe did it when things started popping up that Abe Lucas tries to conceal - the conversation with Rita, one of the students telling her that she spotted him in a lab with a key, and the copy of Crime & Punishment having a note with the judge's name in it. In comparison to After The Hunt, Jill's parents Mr. and Mrs. Pollard (Neelix, I mean Ethan Phillips, Betsy Aidem) didn't find their relationship poor form or unusual; they seem to welcome them as a couple in their home. The dinner time scene where they laid out how the murder happened calls back to Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt. The conclusion of the movie has Abe messing with the elevator where Jill has her piano lessons and attempts to throw her down the elevator shaft. He slips on the flashlight that he won with Jill at a carnival game (somewhat calling back to Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train) and gets killed. Jill's voiceover notes that this was something that "was taught in a philosophy textbook." Irrational Man for the most part as a movie is a great effort from Woody Allen and I found it interesting. Compared to Norte, End of History, which is about a similar Dostoevsky lead character, this is a bit more precise in its story and its characters. The narration leads the audience through the characters' thought process. The Duke of Burgundy (Mubi, leaving on 5/31) - 4/5 stars Reveal hidden contents Somewhere near The Wachowskis' Bound and Sebastian Lelio's Disobedience is The Duke of Burgundy. The movie is about a couple Evelyn (Chiara D'Anna) and Cynthia (Sidse Babell Knudsen) exploring BDSM as the movie repeats their routines as a lady of the house and a housekeeper. The movie is visually stunning and experimental; director Peter Strickland does a lot novel ways to do scenes and uses a lot of nature photography for the movie. Evelyn being a student of lepidopterology plays into it; she attends lectures with Cynthia; the camera focuses on the lecturers, almost to have them be an object of jealousy for Cynthia. What's interesting is that a lot of what Cynthia does is to please Evelyn; she does get angry at Evelyn for what she perceives as cheating on her. Evelyn went to another lecturer and clean her boots, yet according to Evelyn, nothing happened. What's interesting is the strain of the relationship being found in Cynthia's back pain, which appears a lot for her. Cynthia feels a sense of guilt over the relationship and how the relationship is with roles they play for each other, complete with scripts written. It's difficult to tell if the skeleton locked in the trunk was really Evelyn or if this were a dream. Eventually, Cynthia breaks down and cries in front of Evelyn. Evelyn tells Cynthia that she loves her, next showing the trunk being carried away and the two enjoying each other in a field. The ending is a bit difficult to tell if it's a flash back to the cycle again as Evelyn knocks on the door to be let in or if it's after Cynthia declared her love. Cynthia hesitates in answering. Director Peter Strickland made a movie that stylistically is similar to a lot of 1970s films. There's elements of Jean Rollin and Stephanie Rothman's work to The Duke of Burgundy; Strickland does something that appears similar to the lesbian movies of the 1970s, but a bit more modern too. It can be complained that the movie was a tad slow. Irrational Man is one of the great examples of Allen still being at the peak of his powers so late in his career. I love all of his Moral thrillers. Such a great cast. Big fan of the Peter Strickland catalog. Very much liked Duke. Did you happen to see In Fabric? That's my fave so far. 9 hours ago, Andrew POE! said: Top Gun: Maverick (saw in the theaters) - 5/5 stars Reveal hidden contents Top Gun: Maverick isn't like Top Gun at all. It builds off of it and has Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) remembering his past and seeing his 'wingman' "Goose" get killed (complete with footage from the first movie). The ghosts of the past haunting seems to be the story the movie is going for this time. In a way, "Maverick" is more like another Cruise character - Ethan Hunt. Much of the movie is constructed like a Mission: Impossible movie - Hunt, I mean "Maverick" is having to train the next generation of fighter pilots in the Top Gun program for a dangerous mission against an unnamed country that has uranium. The mission has to be done in three weeks. The new recruits have names like "Fanboy' (Danny Ramirez), and "Payback" (Jay Ellis), and "Bob" (Lewis Pullman). They are a bit generic and maybe character less for the most part - the only ones that seem to stand out is Lt Jake "Hangman" Seresin (if you combined Cruise and Val Kilmer into one person named Glenn Powell) and Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller). "Rooster" is the son of "Goose" from the original (why not "Duck," you might be thinking?). The story in this has "Maverick" putting the recruits in their paces and finding that they aren't meeting the goals - they aren't hitting the target, they aren't climbing high enough, they are jeopardizing the mission. Yet after one of the pilots nearly gets killed, "Maverick" is pulled with Vice Admiral Beau Simpson (Jon Hamm) leading the training; "Maverick" steals a plane and completes the 'bombing run' mission himself. "Maverick" is then picked to lead the crew for the mission. Besides that story thread, there's a story thread about "Maverick" seeing people he hasn't seen in awhile. Although to be honest, Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly) wasn't even in the first movie, but it's nice that the girl from Labyrinth was a love interest for "Maverick." It's also nice that the movie has two above the age of 40 characters have a romantic interest, which isn't seen that often in movies. Usually, the temptation is to have the main character romance a younger woman, like Amelia Benjamin (Lyliana Wray). (Which is really really fucking gross to think about). "Maverick" also sees Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky (Val Kilmer), who lost the use of his voice except for a few lines. "The Navy needs Maverick," he tells "Maverick." The cameo was a bit sad given what happened to Kilmer and the fact that it's his final appearance (at least until AI). After that scene, there's beach football, which completely lacks any form of sexual tension whatsoever. ("Maverick" isn't riding a motorcycle covered in sweat to see Kelly McGillis). Once the movie has "Maverick" and the team (including "Rooster") going to Unknown Country That Has Snow And Mountains And Might Be Afghanistan or Russia But Who Knows We Aren't Saying (UCTHSAMAMBAORBWKWAS if you will), it turns into a thrill ride. Director Joseph Kosinski racks up the tension as "Maverick" with "Rooster" as his wingman along with Lt Natasha "Phoenix" Trace (Monica Barbaro), "Bob," "Fanboy" and "Payback" to attack the targets. They nearly don't succeed and end up succeeding. The uranium is destroyed, but "Rooster" is about to get hit with a missile. "Maverick" sacrifices his jet to save him. "Maverick" is thought to be lost and is about to get gunned down by a helicopter when "Rooster" saves him. "Rooster" gets shot down and it briefly becomes Behind Enemy Lines. "You didn't think!" "That's what you told me to do!" as "Rooster" and "Maverick" stare at each other in the forest. Somehow, they are able to steal a jet and fly out of there and are disguised as the enemy until "Maverick" guns down a plane and a dogfight ensues. "Hangman" is able to save them when they are near the aircraft carrier and they land the pilot with no front landing gear. The scene on the carrier is almost a recreation of the final scene in Top Gun, except "Maverick" and "Goose" are standing triumphant in the end. The movie's ending has "Maverick" flying off with Penny in an airplane. Top Gun: Maverick does a lot of the tricks that Kosinski would employ with F1. The movie is pure visual spectacle and story wise it's actually better than F1. It's definitely better than Top Gun. There's a sheer visceral thrill to see the camera on Cruise's face as he goes up in the jet, his reaction to G's against his skin. Top Gun: Maverick is definitely worth seeing in a theater. Really!? I'm not sure I hit the 30 minute mark on my viewing. I thought it felt distinctly like Norm propaganda. I can understand loving the thrill of the visceral action, but I don't see how anything else in that movie escapes 'sentimental tacky crap'. I saw another of your 5/5s Blue Heron yesterday. Very much enjoyed it. Another strong Canadian feature. I kinda thought it needed something else about the older version of the Daughter's story or maybe the son, but I love that director Sophy Romvari completely avoided any sensational trappings. Fantastic debut performance from Edik Beddoes as 'Jeremy'. Very, very good film. Edited May 22 by HarryArchieGus 1
Andrew POE! Posted May 22 Posted May 22 33 minutes ago, HarryArchieGus said: Irrational Man is one of the great examples of Allen still being at the peak of his powers so late in his career. I love all of his Moral thrillers. Such a great cast. Big fan of the Peter Strickland catalog. Very much liked Duke. Did you happen to see In Fabric? That's my fave so far. Really!? I'm not sure I hit the 30 minute mark on my viewing. I thought it felt distinctly like Norm propaganda. I can understand loving the thrill of the visceral action, but I don't see how anything else in that movie escapes 'sentimental tacky crap'. I saw another of your 5/5s Blue Heron yesterday. Very much enjoyed it. Another strong Canadian feature. I kinda thought it needed something else about the older version of the Daughter's story or maybe the son, but I love that director Sophy Romvari completely avoided any sensational trappings. Fantastic debut performance from Edik Beddoes as 'Jeremy'. Very, very good film. In Fabric is on Kanopy (leaving this month too) and I'm planning on seeing that soon along with Stars At Noon, God's Creatures, Slow West, and First Cow. (Who knows how far I'll get, Kanopy tends to limit their streaming for me towards the end of the month). I was surprised that I liked Top Gun: Maverick too - my taste in movies veer wildly at times. I like my experimental arthouse fare, but I like big budget blockbusters too. The last hour or so made up for me somehow.
HarryArchieGus Posted May 22 Posted May 22 31 minutes ago, Andrew POE! said: In Fabric is on Kanopy (leaving this month too) and I'm planning on seeing that soon along with Stars At Noon, God's Creatures, Slow West, and First Cow. (Who knows how far I'll get, Kanopy tends to limit their streaming for me towards the end of the month). I was surprised that I liked Top Gun: Maverick too - my taste in movies veer wildly at times. I like my experimental arthouse fare, but I like big budget blockbusters too. The last hour or so made up for me somehow. Go for In Fabric and (maybe my favourite Kelly Reinhardt film) First Cow. I need to see Claire Denis’ Stars at Noon too. Thanks for the heads up.
J.H. Posted May 22 Posted May 22 (edited) 25th Hour - This movie isn't one of Spike Lee's best BUT it isn't one of his worst. It holds a place in my heart because it was filmed in Yorkville. Yorkville is located in the Upper Eastside of Manhattan and before the late 90s was a marvel of a neighborhood. I could go on about how it was filled with wonderful Mom & Pop stores, small restaurants of all ethnicities and of course, Carl Schurz Park. But I won't. I left New York City in 1994. Since then NYC has changed and Yorkville changed with it. My favorite Hungarian restaurant is gone, rising rent killed it. It had been there since the early 70s. Local stationary stores, newspaper stands and so much more are gone like so many grains of sand in the wind. New York has gotten louder and brighter since I left but despite the changes Yorkville is still Yorkville. It still is quaint in its way. Spike Lee doesn't delve deep into the history of it all but the scenes on the Eastside Boardwalk (right by my old building at One Gracie Terrace) make me long for my youth. I miss New York. That is thing about Spike Lee. He doesn't stay in Brooklyn. He goes all over the city. He wants the viewer to experience New York City. Yes, the movie is about a drug dealer about to go away to prison. But Yorkville... Spike made me long for Yorkville. For that I love this movie. I'm such a softie. James Edited May 22 by J.H. 1
HarryArchieGus Posted May 22 Posted May 22 (edited) 48 minutes ago, J.H. said: 25th Hour - This movie isn't one of Spike Lee's best BUT it isn't one of his worst. It holds a place in my heart because it was filmed in Yorkville. Yorkville is located in the Upper Eastside of Manhattan and before the late 90s was a marvel of a neighborhood. I could go on about how it was filled with wonderful Mom & Pop stores, small restaurants of all ethnicities and of course, Carl Schurz Park. I left New York City in 1994. Since then NYC has changed and Yorkville changed with it. My favorite Hungarian restaurant is gone, rising rent killed it. It had been there since the early 70s. Local stationary stores, newspaper stands and so much more are gone like so many grains of sand in the wind. New York has gotten louder and brighter since I left but despite the changes Yorkville is still Yorkville. It still is quaint in its way. Spike Lee doesn't delve deep into the history of it all but the scenes on the Eastside Boardwalk (right by my old building at One Gracie Terrace) make me long for my youth. I miss New York. That is thing about Spike Lee. He doesn't stay in Brooklyn. He goes all over the city. He wants the viewer to experience New York City. Yes, the movie is about a drug dealer about to go away to prison. But Yorkville... Spike made me long for Yorkville. Forv5jat I love this movie. I'm such a softie. James Well said. I liked 25th a lot on first view - at the cinema. Second watch, a couple years back, a lot less so. There’s still a lot to like tho. Seems like a pretty good example of Spike’s enjoyable but often flawed latter catalog. I heard a 2025 interview with him conducted by Jarmusch recently and found him kinda insufferable. I get that city connection. Been feeling it recently with a few good Toronto movies popping up. Edited May 22 by HarryArchieGus
Dolfan in NYC Posted May 22 Author Posted May 22 This is accurate and I will not be taking any questions: 5
Technico Support Posted May 22 Posted May 22 (edited) 15 hours ago, Andrew POE! said: It's also nice that the movie has two above the age of 40 characters have a romantic interest, which isn't seen that often in movies. Usually, the temptation is to have the main character romance a younger woman I can’t give them too much credit, since Connelly pretty much still looks not much older than 30ish AND Cruise is over 60. Call me when they bring back 2025 Kelly McGillis as the love interest Edited May 22 by Technico Support 1
Technico Support Posted May 22 Posted May 22 1 hour ago, Dolfan in NYC said: This is accurate and I will not be taking any questions: Shea Serrano is great. Love him on Rewatchables.
odessasteps Posted May 22 Posted May 22 I saw a post the other day about how Pacino got the idea to remake Scarface.
Andrew POE! Posted May 23 Posted May 23 Movies today....somehow developed a theme today. Chicago (2002) (Peacock, leaving on 5/31) - 4/5 stars Spoiler It's amazing how without something like Dancer in the Dark, Chicago wouldn't have been possible. Chicago as a movie is very much a musical, but a dark, seedy underbelly of a musical. The musical numbers could very well be in the realm of Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger)'s imagination. And at times, they are. We never see the 'reality' of what Hart experiences much like what happens to Selma in Dancer in the Dark. (There's a point in Chicago where they almost copy the final scene of Dancer in the Dark as Roxie witnesses a woman being hung for murder and it's imagined as a trapeze act). What's amazing about Chicago is the fact that actors that weren't known for doing musicals are playing parts in this. Catherine Zeta Jones plays Velma Kelly, who is also in prison with Hart for murdering her husband. Richard Gere plays Billy Flynn, which is a darker version of his character from Primal Fear except he's only in it for the money. Queen Latifah plays "Mama" Morton, a matron of the jail. John C. Reilly plays Amos Hart, the husband of Roxie and tries to take the fall after Roxie murders Fred Casely (Dominic West). Lucy Liu shows up briefly as Kitty Baxter, Christine Baranski is Mary Sunshine,and Taye Diggs is the bandleader. But when digging deeper about the actors, it makes sense that they would be cast for the parts. Queen Latifah started as a rapper, but has musical training. Reilly has musical training too. The serious subjects that the movie tackle is shown through the musical numbers. "Cell Block Tango" melds the fantasy and the reality sections as individual women walk through what brought them to the jail, all claiming that they didn't murder their husbands or lovers. "He walked into my knife ten times." "Razzle Dazzle" has Flynn making the court case into an elaborate number as women stand around the judge and he presents his case. "A Tap Dance" has Flynn performing a tap dance routine while trying to quash the evidence introduced for the diary. (In a way, the sections reminded me of what would be done in Joker: Folie a Deux). To be honest, the story is a bit too 'cute' for how it ends. Hart and Kelly end up performing together in "Nowdays / Hot Honey Rag" but it's visually stunning to watch. Rob Marshall has the camera focusing on each one during the number as the bright lights behind them are shown. Is Chicago one of the best movies of the early 2000s? No, not really. It's definitely entertaining to watch and well photographed and well edited, but the story felt a little 'short' compared to other musicals I've seen. Miss Potter (Peacock, leaving on 5/31) - 4/5 stars Spoiler There's something positively sweet and sad about Miss Potter as a movie. Having Renee Zellweger as Beatrix Potter and Ewan McGregor as Norman Warne calls back to mind their earlier turn in Down With Love, but Beatrix Potter's hesitation on romance is due to parental expectations rather than societal expectations. When she does fall in love with Norman, tragedy strikes her and he dies. The movie has Beatrix Potter wanting to forge ahead with a life that she wants of her own. Her friendship with his sister Millie (Emily Watson) does make me wonder why the movie didn't pursue a romantic relationship between the two; they are unmarried women not desiring to have to look after men and houses and children. The two brothers that run the publishing house had me wondering if they had murdered their brother, but the movie never pursues this either. What is the most important with Miss Potter is Zellweger's performance as the character; Beatrix Potter becomes famous for her children's stories that are very much like the idyllic life in the English countryside. The animal characters dressing in clothes and having manners are like those found in England. Watching the movie is like watching a glimpse into England of that time period; the maintained rooms, the teas, the social parties at Christmas, the horses and carriages. Beatrix Potter then decides to begin purchasing land in the countryside including Hillside Farm where she meets again William Heelis (Lloyd Owen) and purchases a farm at an auction. The photography of the Lake District is utterly breathtaking to watch. The drawback I can say about Miss Potter is the fact that the movie is a bit short and maybe a little too neatly tided up. But still, having Zellweger doing the character and performing in an English accent better than what she did in Bridget Jones' Diary is worth watching. Stardust (Peacock, leaving on 5/31) - 4.5/5 stars Spoiler Stardust is a near classic that I never understood why it didn't have more acclaim behind it. The movie is very much an English class drama with the fantasy bent - a person wanting to rise above their station in life to impress someone is very relatable and part of the lexicon of English stories. Tristan (Charlie Cox) starts wanting to find a "fallen star" for Victoria (Sienna Miller); the chase for the "McGuffin" is inherent with cinema as well. What Stardust does is introduce elements and other people chasing after the same thing. Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) part of the MacBeth-like three witches is seeking it out. Prince Steptimus (Mark Strong) is after the same thing as well after killing his brothers (with they appearing comically as ghosts). The star in question is an actual person named Yvaine (Claire Danes). The movie is loaded with tremendous detail and production design. I would say this is one of the few times in the late 2000s where CGI looks in place with the rest of the world. I really loved the inn sequence where Yvaine and Tristan are having to escape from Lamia after she has killed Prince Primus (Jason Flemyng). The finale sequence where Septimus and Tristan team up and Septimus is killed then possessed is great as well, although a bit 'deus ex machina' in its execution. What the movie does as well is it does have a bit of commentary on LGBT characters; one character is changed into a goat then into a woman (against his will). Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro) is a bit of high camp, out of The Birdcage, but it's easy to see a message of acceptance with the character. Captain Shakespeare hid the fact that he was gay to pass as a 'tough guy' for his crew, but they still view him as 'their captain' when they find out the truth. (Also any movie where Ricky Gervais gets killed is a good movie). Stardust probably has been unfairly mangled, but it's a great bit of fantasy. It's almost a modern update to 1980s fantasy movies like Labyrinth, The Princess Bride, and The Dark Crystal. Kiss The Girls (Peacock, leaving on 5/31) - 3/5 stars Spoiler When watching Kiss the Girls, I couldn't help but to feel that Morgan Freeman's character Alex Cross was a bit more like his character in Se7en. Which is likely on purpose - Freeman carries the characters with a world weary sense of intelligence. Having Cross and Ashley Judd's character Kate McTiernan being introduced in the movie with boxing motifs can be a bit 'on the nose.' We get it - they're fighters. What director Gary Fleder and cinematographer Aaron Schneider does with the movie obviously calls to David Fincher's Se7en, but also Jonathan Demme's Silence of the Lambs. Cross is to investigate what happened to women that were kidnapped in the Raleigh/Durham/Research Triangle Park area after his niece Naomi (Gina Ravera) was missing in Los Angeles. Helping him are Nick Ruskin (Cary Elwes) and Davey Sikes (Alex McArthur) as well as Chief Hatfield (Brian Cox). Much of the movie is almost grossly done from the male gauze; the camera and shots focus on the attractiveness of the women, almost justifying what "Casanova" is doing. Kate McTiernan is kidnapped after having her house broken into one night and finds herself in an almost medieval basement/cave area. Her escape is frantic, frenzied camerawork, almost purposely disorienting, culminating in her jumping off a cliff into water below (another sign of movies from 1990s is people doing this a lot, especially in crime thrillers like this. Blame The Fugitive for this). Kate is eventually found and helps Alex Cross along with Sampson (Bill Nunn) and "Ari Gold as a police detective" Henry Castillo (Jeremy Piven) in tracking down William Rudolph (Tony Goldwyn), who Kate recognizes in a club. I really loved the angled shots along the coast as they follow Rudolph to his cabin. The police search the cabin and find a locker with clippings and photos; what's interesting is it reminded me a bit of Jack's freezer in Lars von Trier's The House That Jack Built. Cross and Naomi's boyfriend locate where the place Kate was held based on a map of the area. Cross is eventually able to track down the entrance after hearing a shot ring out then going inside himself. Rudolph is found with "Casanova" having escaped and Naomi located. What the movie does in its climax is a bit anger inducing; Cross after looking at handwriting of "Casanova" and Ruskin's handwriting figures out that Ruskin is "Casanova." Ruskin has gone by Kate's house is talking to her; Fleder does a lot of split diopter shots during their conversations with a closeup of Judd's face while Elwes' back to the camera. The perspective shifts to have a split diopter of Elwes' face with Judd's face in the shot. Eventually, Ruskin drops his Southern accent and slips into the accent used for "Casanova." Cross eventually gets there and tries to talk Ruskin down, much like how Cross did at the start of the movie upon hearing about a murder and talking to a victim. Ruskin agitates Cross and Cross shoots him through a milk carton, killing him. The spilled milk is symbolic of spilled innocence, showing that Cross' normal way of doing things has cracked. What makes Ruskin as "Casanova" anger inducing is the fact that it makes the local police complicit in his crimes. Chief Hatfield would be yelling at Ruskin and Sikes to 'get results' and 'don't make me look bad' and the two would be stringing him along. Sikes had to have known that Ruskin was doing something while women were being kidnapped. Their introduction has them laughing and treating this less than seriously, as if women being kidnapped and later killed wasn't anything. It creates a larger question about police in Southern states like North Carolina - the remark Ruskin makes to Cross is "we do things differently around here." Apparently, according to this movie, the police in a state like North Carolina are entirely clueless or purposely so. Criminals with a badge can commit crimes and their superiors would be none the wiser as what happens. But as long as they are maintaining the 'good old boy system,' nothing will happen to them. Kiss the Girls, despite the climatic scenes, is an interesting late 1990s thriller. Double Jeopardy (Peacock, leaving on 5/31) - 2.5/5 stars Spoiler Ashley Judd plays Libby Parsons, who decides to commit all the crimes. "I can't be charged for Double Jeopardy," she would say. "My husband faked his death and is still alive! I'm free to commit more crimes to stop him from committing crimes, right?" No, Libby. It doesn't work like that. None of this is how this is supposed to work! Sometimes, you can watch a movie that is filmed professionally and has a director like Bruce Beresford who knows what he is doing and with people like cinematographer Peter James and editor Mark Warner that know what they're doing too, and it's the most unhinged mess ever. The movie seems to start out fine - a Leave Her to Heaven with Vertigo if you will. This seems like it would be a Hitchcockian drama with Judd trying to track down her husband Nick Parsons (Bruce Greenwood), even though he is supposed to be dead. She gets out of prison and sent to Washington state probation officer Travis Lehman (Tommy Lee Jones)'s halfway house. This is where the movie just falls apart. Libby breaks into a school (more crimes done!) and locates the name of the woman that left her named Angela Green (Annabeth Gish). She's on a ferry and handcuffed to a door; she puts the car in reverse while Lehman has an Irish Coffee. She puts the car into drive and it knocks a car off the ferry. Where was the motorist for this car? Why was he/she not running towards the edge of the ferry and yelling, "My car! Some motherfucker dumped my car into the lake!" Apparently, this didn't happen. I guess given the type of car, the person was like, "Yay, good fucking riddance, I'll call my insurance and file a claim and get a new car!" or "I got the car for $100 and a pack of cigs, I'll get a new one tomorrow." The movie just goes from there as Libby tracks down Nick Parsons who became Simon Ryder and is now Jonathan Devereaux. The funniest scene is when Libby is driving an old truck and backs into Lehman's car then pushes it forward as she peels out of there. I laughed for five minutes straight at that scene. Eventually, Libby catches up with Jonathan Devereaux in New Orleans as Travis Lehman has too. Travis shows a picture to Devereaux after he saw her at a black tie social and....he claims not to have seen her. It would have been advantageous for him to go, "Yeah, I saw her, she was just here." But there's a Master Plan from Devereaux where he decides to commit more crimes too. He has LIbby meet him at a cemetery with her son and the kid keeps walking away. Devereaux knocks her out and puts her in a coffin. She's able to get it despite his saying that "he buried the problem." It would have been a great giallo twist if the coffin was buried into the ground and Libby got out of it a la Fulci's Black Sunday. But nope, that's not what happens. Apparently, the movie decides to have things get changed around with what characters do. Devereaux is now definitely the villain, even though Libby Parsons is after him. Lehman definitely believes Libby Parsons despite her, you know, committing other crimes after being convicted of murdering her husband. Sometimes, you just have to go 'what the fuck?' with movies and deal with it. The climax has Libby shooting Devereaux twice with Lehman's gun, which means now Lehman will probably go to jail too. Instead, he's loaded into an ambulance. The final scene has them going to a school in Georgia (probably near Savannah) where Libby Parsons hugs her son, who was told she was dead. Ashley Judd is so much better than this movie. So is Tommy Lee Jones and everyone else. But really, it just didn't any sense or was that good. Yeah, movies. 1
odessasteps Posted May 23 Posted May 23 Stardust will probably disappear from memory go8ng forward due to Gaiman being cancelled.
Andrew POE! Posted May 23 Posted May 23 6 hours ago, odessasteps said: Stardust will probably disappear from memory go8ng forward due to Gaiman being cancelled. Yeah, that can cause problems like that....
HarryArchieGus Posted May 23 Posted May 23 (edited) This is the first time I've heard or read a positive take on Stardust. Not just a positive take - you're saying it's a near perfect movie? I was aware of it due to its huge selling campaign and Gervais' (odd at the time) involvement, but it seemed like another post-Extras big money American project to be avoided at all costs. To be clear, I like a blockbuster every once and awhile. Though they are fewer and farther between, it was only 2 summers ago that we got the excellent one-two punch of 'Barbieheimer'. Edited May 23 by HarryArchieGus
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