The Movies Thread

[Crewe]

In the meantime, I'm really disappointed in some upcoming reboots and remakes:

Nutty Professor (no Murphy)
Carrie (limited TV series)
House Party
Indecent Proposal
The Crow - still
Conan the Barbarian - Amazon TV series
Mighty Ducks - TV
Three Musketeers - not much info, but apparently Mission Impossible style
Stripes - TV series, by far the most disappointing
License to Drive
Terms of Endearment
Splash - Gender reversed remake wtf
Highlander, again
Green Lantern - there was one already?
The Great Outdoors - Kevin Hart starring. So I take it back, this is the worst.
American Werewolf in London - female wolf this time
Logan's Run - franchise
I know What you did last summer
Big Trouble in Little China - The Rock and booo!
Bewitched - T series but now it will be an interracial thing
Grease - spinoff 
Clueless
Many Saints of Newark - Sopranos prequel starring Gandolfini's son portraying him in a setting of Newark during the riots in the 60's
Frasier - continuation
Nash Bridges - continuation
Practical Magic - prequel
Dexter - TV limited series. This is supposed to be a 10 ep project that focuses on Dexter after his self imposed exile.


Animated remakes
Gremlins
Good Times


Out of all this crapola, the only ones I'm interested in are Dexter, Many Saints and Frasier.
Out of those, I'm sure Frasier will be the most successful.
Many Saints is one I really want to see as well since Im a huge Sopranos fan. I dont think it will be terrible, but Im not wholly confident it will be a masterpiece like it's predecessor.
Dexter was really good the first 4 seasons or maybe 5, cant recall. But, the stuffed shirts interfered and fucking ruined it.
I sincerely hope Hall, et al can recover and give this show a proper send off.

I sincerely hope Stripes and Great outdoors never get made or fail on a massive scale.
Why would you name a TV show Stripes? It is going to have absolutely NOTHING to do with the original in any way shape form or fashion.
No character connection, no era connection, no story connection no nothing. It's about a bunch of misfits in the army. Just call it something else and stop trying to live off the name like that shitty Lethal Weapon TV experiment.
kevin Hart isn't funny to me and I can see right now it's just going to be a standup comedy hour for Hart.
Again, just trying to ride off of the name, there's no reason at all to reboot it.
As much as I hate it, at least the female Ghostbusters idea was legit.
Andy btw, Splash can fuck right off too...

[BojackHorsefella]

It's just name recognition. Marvel created a movie studio and printed money because of all their recognized properties, and DC more-or-less did the same teaming up with WB. Now every studio wants to mine their own back log of previous hits to try to create either "connected universes" (such as the failed Dark Universe) or the "sequel-reboot," i.e. the upcoming Ghostbusters where the original cast is involved to pass the torch and then they can continue the franchise like that was the plan all along. Studios, TV or movie, don't want anything that isn't a "franchise." Outside of maybe streaming services (Netflix, and not streaming but HBO too), most studios are looking for "how long can this show/movie franchise go on" from the initial pitch, whereas Netflix and HBO seem to be somewhat better at saying either A) you've gone on long enough (more Netflix) or B) just having a set number of seasons per the creator (I'll note that Mad Men and Breaking Bad both, I believe, had a set number of seasons established by their creator. Vincent Gilligan (who did BB) also said Better Call Saul will end at 6).

It's gross. Prior to Marvel and DC, there was what, like, maybe James Bond that had X amount of movies, and that was it? You were lucky to get a trilogy, and you only got a sequel if the first was a hit, not "we're ready to announce a sequel as long as it doesn't lose money," which we've also seen happen. It sucks, and it's the business side of movies taking agency away from the creative/original side.

But especially in 2020, when people turned up to stream Mulan (basically a superhero movie), WW84 and the other mainstream movies (Tenet, I'm sure, once it's available) and disregarded other original movies or genre fare (Palm Springs, The Assisant, Bacarau, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, First Cow), I don't see things getting any better.

Then again, I heard people complaining that "Hollywood's run out of ideas" since I was a kid in the 90s. I feel like we saw more book adaptations back then (even if we didn't realize they were book adaptations. Looking at you, Die Hard) but not quite the catalog cannibalization we're seeing of late.

There's a few directors and/or studios though who fight the good fight. A24, Neon, Bong-Joon Ho, Charlie Kauffman, Scorsese still hits on all cylinders. There's good stuff out there, and more coming, but yeah, I'm a bit sick of franchises at the moment.

[Crewe]

yea that's what I was suggesting, just name recognition and it's absolute shit.
I get your point about wanting a franchise, but also as you note, not everyone does it, I mean some shows are planned for more seasons to start then are abruptly canceled which is the other side of the negative coin.
Programs like Fleabag which ran its course in two seasons was phenomenal, but that's a rarity.

The Hollywood is out of ideas thing is quite old and true, many didnt realize there were as many adaptations such as Die Hard and First Blood.

When I was growing up, I cold rattle off every single movie at the theaters at any given time. Back then, it had to be at the movies first, then it took like almost a year for it to get to home video in the early 80's. Then during the hey day of cable, you'd see some direct to video releases but really not all that many. But now? Shit. With so many avenues, I couldnt tell you ten films that have been at the theaters this year, or last, since, you know, Covid.

There is good stuff but it's harder to find, at least for me.

On a side note about franchises' I really really liked First Blood.
Deeper message, no over the top super hero shit. And part II had the makings of another great film but they just went all action movie on us and ruined it. Die Hard, same thing. Just an ordinary guy trying to stay alive, but by Die Hard II, he's super action hero suddenly.
Granted Rocky didnt go down the shitter until III, but still.
I just think they do a disservice to their characters in order grab some cash.
Nobody thinks Die Hard and oh what a great movie that was, they think Die Hard, the same action movie made what, 4 times? 5 times now? I dont even know. Rocky? Rambo? Still? What a joke....they just kill their original films that were so good.

[BojackHorsefella]

Granted Rocky didnt go down the shitter until III, but still.
I just think they do a disservice to their characters in order grab some cash.
Nobody thinks Die Hard and oh what a great movie that was, they think Die Hard, the same action movie made what, 4 times? 5 times now? I dont even know. Rocky? Rambo? Still? What a joke....they just kill their original films that were so good.

I think that's partly why the trilogy works so well. It's essentially an extended 3-act play, comprised of other 3-act plays, haha. You've got a beginning, middle, and what should be an end, and can sort of explore from there.

That being said, I'd say outside of James Bond and the MCU, Rocky's one of the only other franchises I can think of that stated it's case past three movies. Everyone loves Rocky IV, and even though V is garbage, Balboa was considered a big comeback at the time, and the Creed movies have been an absolute hit. Especially looking forward to Creed III since Michael B Jordan is going to direct it as well as star now.

[Crewe]

yea no doubt the Creed flicks are awesome and I really liked Balboa despite it being a film so deep in to the franchise.
Sorta like Rambo for me, I liked it too.

[Crewe]

Athlete A

A disturbingly honest report on the sexual abuse of Team USA gymnastic athletes harking back to the 90's.
The doc starts with a look at the gymnastics global scene, going back to Nadia Comanec who became the template for success.
Then fast forward to Mary Lou Retton becoming the face of the sport for USA.
We then evolve in to the marketing and money making machine that this sport reated in our country.
Of course when you start making gazillions of dollars, people gain power and then will protect it at all costs. Enter Dr. Nasser.
Early on in the story, one of the initial reporters discussed watching the "professional treatment" videos Nasser had produced for educational purposes.
He says that despite his artful medical language, what you were seeing him do was quite unsettling.
It just keeps branching out from here, focusing on the reporting and investigating of the story by the IndyStar.
We hear from everyone from gymnasts to some parents to a cop and they all tell an incredibly sad, sickening story.
So ultimately Nasser is arrested and once they search his home, they also find child porn, tons of it.
We see excerpts of his initial interrogation by cops (he had been interrogated and cleared on similar accusations years before) and he is so arrogant, using medical jargon to try and cover his inability to address the questions, and knowing what he did, it's simply appalling.
The investigation, thankfully, does not stop with him as they wanted to dive in to how a guy like Nasser could get away with such atrocities.
Examinations of the sport reveal how brutal the training and coaches are, namely the world renowned Bela and Martha Karolyi and their famous raining ranch in Texas.
Watching this program is uncomfortable for sure, but it also ignites rage when you see how obtuse Team USA, ala Steve Penny, ignored and covered up such serious crimes.
Obviously it was ingrained in everyone, not abused, to protect the product, the money, the gold mine.
You see it throughout history, you see it today and you will see it tomorrow.
Wherever you see money and power, you will see people being abused in slave like conditions.
They will throw out a scapegoat then just continue to rake in the cash.
That said, we are still waiting to see if anything of consequence will happen to Penny. He's been arrested, awaiting trail according to the doc.

We do see some hope along with spirited recovery by many of the victims as well as a satisfying few victim's speeches directed at Nasser during his trail.
While it is certainly tragic, it is a documentary developed with a promising outlook that justice has and will continue to prevail along with the future gymnasts having a much safer environment in which to pursue their goals.

[BojackHorsefella]

I'm bored and work is slow, lets do this:

Today, I bring you, stories from three separate movie ventures I've engaged upon recently (there's a reason I'm doing this intro, it's not a great bit). Lets begin with Snowpiercer.

Snowpiercer (2013)

A movie that's been on my "To See" list since...well, 2013. Out of nowhere, my fiancee says to me the other night, "I want to watch that Snowpiercer TV show." I said then we have to watch the movie first, and 8 years later than I'd originally meant to, I've finally done it.

If you don't know the story, the simple and quick premise is: in the battle against climate change, mankind screws up extraordinarily when they launch...tech...into the sky to...end?...climate change. Look, the intent or how it was supposed to work doesn't matter, because they BACKFIRE, and the world descends into a tremendous ice age, killing all of humanity except for the inhabitants of Snowpiercer.

Snowpiercer is a big train, on a track that circles the globe (presumably around the equator? Trajectory is never made clear), that rich folks hid away on as they were protected from the elements, however the tail cars were taken over by the "rabble," if you will. Yup, much like Parasite, Snowpiercer is about capitalism, class and, well, climate change. Thanks, Bong Joon-Ho!

To continue would be the beginning of spoilers, so suffice to say, the movie absolutely lives up to the hype. Chris Evans has a great performance, Tilda Swinton is here being really weird, and I enjoyed Kang-ho Song as Namgoong Minsoo (Kang-ho having played the father in Parasite, which, again, if you have not seen, go do it now. It's free on Hulu.) The direction is fantastic, confirming that yes, Bong-Joon Ho CAN film an action scene. Also, Jamie Bell is here, just a FEW years before he'd be made irrelevant by the existence of Tom Holland.

Anyways, Snowpiercer. Go check it out, it's on Netflix right now.

4 Stars




A good movie that was, and what a fantastic recap to share with all of you. That's not all I have though, for I ALSO bring you (here, the bit "pays off"):

News of the World (2020)

No, I did not subject myself to the innards of a movie house, HOWEVER, I did subject myself to the outtards of a drive-in theater! Yes, one of those words in the previous sentence was NOT a word. Lets get to it.

News of the World follows Tom Hank's character, Captain Jefferson Kidd, as he (repeatedly tells people) "travels town-to-town" with news of the world. I didn't have much of a care to see this, I'd heard some mixed reviews, but it was in a double feature with another film I DID want to see, and it was cheaper to see both at the drive-in than just rent one on Prime. I say this to note I DID very much enjoy the film. I can't say for sure if it'll bait the Oscars like it's clearly attempting to do, since I haven't seen nearly enough 2020 films to say, but I'm sure it'll contend.

The "twist" of the film is that, while travelling, Hanks happens upon a young girl, played expertly by Helena Zengel. The girl was being delivered to distant family, as her parents and home were killed by native americans, and now those same native americans are dead, leaving her in her current situation. The problem is, her escort has clearly been murdered, and now she's alone, with Hanks being the only one around. And she's NOT quite civilized.

The movie, as you may have read, has many parallels to the modern world, opening with Kidd reading from a newspaper about a measles outbreak, as he travels a country greatly divided following the Civil War, as they try to figure out how to unite with their former enemies under one flag. Unfortunately (or not, depending on how exhausted you are after the last four years), I don't think it quite delved as far into that well as it could, as the movie came alive more in those moments of him reading and delivering the news (sometimes to hostile crowds), than I felt it did during some lengthy chase sequences that seemed to fill time more than fill the story (although, I suppose we can file those under "gaining a younling's trust").

Regardless, if you're a fan of Hanks, feel like renting a new release or travelling out (to a drive-in) for it, or just want to know it's worth waiting for when it comes to the $1 Redbox months later, the answer, simply is yes.

3.5 stars



Promising Young Woman (2020)

Wow, this movie. The basic premise is simple: Cassie and Nina are best friends, who go to med school together. Nina is raped, and later drops out (Cassie does too), and commits suicide. The man who raped her, graduates #1 in their med school, goes on to have a nice life with no consequences.

But this isn't just some revenge story, that'd be TOO simple. Promising Young Woman, written and directed by Emerald Fennell (who showran the second season of Killing Eve, and wrote for Fleabag, I believe, with Phoebe-Waller Bridger) takes a keen eye on everyone who failed that night (including, to some extent, Cassie herself, as she blames herself for not being at the party where events occurred).

Cassie, now 30 and working the same job at a coffee house, goes out most nights, pretending to act incredibly drunk and allowing men to take her to their place, "to make sure she's ok." Naturally, these men are up to no good, but when Cassie shows she's not drunk at all and is 100% cognitively aware, they all immediately distress and start telling her how they're all "nice guys."

The movie may lose you here, because clearly, Cassie puts herself in a position to be taken advantage of by someone with predatory intentions, but that's not who the movie wants to focus on. Predators know they're predators, the movie targets those who don't realize they're the bad guy. To say more would be to spoil some of the movie's great moments (including a Spiderman 2 actor who does such a fantastic job with his limited time on-screen), but it's not just "man bad, hate men," and instead focuses on "rape culture" as a whole, who aids and abets it, and who the real culpable ones are.

One last thing: the movies' use of Bo Burnham is so effective. I love him as a stand-up, but after he wrote and directed Eighth Grade, and seeing him in this starring role, I'm excited for any project he has next. Incredible talent.

3.5 stars




As usual, I'll note I track my movies at my profile on Letterboxd, right here: https://letterboxd.com/bucfever/

Have my best of 2020 list (it's a small list), my unranked, "Every Movie I've Watched During Quarantine" list, and the simplest of reviews for each movie I watched: Is It Worth It? Often it's a yes. Sometimes there's a no. Riveting stuff.

[Crewe]

if there is a great thing about this pandemic, it is the fucking Drive In!
Ive always loved drive ins...the good and the bad and they are a piece of Americana.

Ive kept myself in the dark about News of the World because I figured id see it at some point because, Hanks.

Promising Young Women sounds intriguing, and one that sorta ties in with one I just watched which was story which was
Bombshell

I love Bombshell being used as a homonym. Ok that's out of the way.
Charlize Theron and a studded cast depict the inner workings of Fox News centering around Megyn Kelly (Theron) and Gretchen Carlson (Kidman)
I wont bore you with the backstory because you should already know.
Bombshell is a sleek, almost Aaron Sorkin style of film and centers around the serious matter of sexual harassment.
I dont know all of the characters IRL so hard for me to say who all was real or not, but I believe Margot Robbie was a composite character but still, very compelling.
Ailes was played absolutely masterfully by John Lithgow. One scene, and you'll know which one, was just so hard to watch and I think it needs to be seen by every male with hiring power.
The only negative thing I can say about this movie is that since it is centered around Trump and the election and some real news footage, it just reanimated all my disdain for that unbelievable shitstain and any demon that supports him.

[BojackHorsefella]

Yeah, I think you're right about that being a composite. I'd love to watch that one for the performances and cast alone, haven't gotten around to it yet though.

[Crewe]

So this movie is a bit young to be referenced as an archive pull, but nonetheless...

Since I just watched Revenge of the Sith after reading the novel, I was thinking about the Star Wars timeline and realized Solo fell in right about here.
I hem and hawed quite a bit because Ive berated Solo at every level and really only watched it with one eye open because I was pre disposed to hate it.
Having only seen it once, I decided to give it another look.
Ill say, my disdain his lifted, a little.
I really like how Woody Harrelson can be a great character and lead actor, no matter what. I love when young uns see him in Cheers, not knowing he was in it and freaking out.
I can tell you, letting time pass may have eased my critical sense of this film, but I think, seeing it now, really, my big issue with it has always been the casting of the lead character. Sorry, I dont know who he is, but there is just nothing Solo about him.
That's another reason I hated this movie before I even saw it. Harrison Ford is Harrison Ford and the only young version of him you'll ever find is, Harrison Ford.
So, to be fair to whoever this guy was, he really didnt have a chance, in my opinion anyway.
Lets call this film a good movie to escape with if you will. Not a lot of Star Wars meat here and I really also thought it contributed to franchise fatigue. That said, I ease my ire and will elevate this one above AOTC.