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| Befade |
 Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2017 7:50 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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Thanks for hearing me, Syd. I have a sense that James Stewart's family was a happy one and he was popular in high school. A lot of people with that background do feel at home where they grew up and they go to all their high school reunions.
I've started to feel the same about The Shape of Water. Best movie of the year. I really liked Lady Bird....but it hasn't made the lasting impression that Shape has. I don't go for creature movies and I didn't think that one had any appeal. I think the movie did something amazing in the way it brought together so many different ingredients. Or themes. Down trodden types, spy types, abusive bosses and husbands, gay bashing, scientists, real bonding between people. But of course Sally Hawkins was a genius in pulling the whole thing together in such an unusual love story. And I loved Richard Jenkins.
On the other hand.....Downsizing achieved the opposite effect. A real mess of a movie that was unable to connect its diverse parts. |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 12:11 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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The Shape of Water has some funny bits, too. One I was taken with was right after the fantasy sequence, when the Creature and Eliza are sitting at the kitchen table like an ordinary couple, except, of course, one isn't.
There are lots of references to The Creature from the Black Lagoon which I would have caught if I was more familiar with that movie. And to E.T. and Starman as well. Del Toro has a gift of using these to create something original. |
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Rocky Laocoon foretold of Troy's doom, only to find snaky water. They pulled him in and Rocky can't swim. Now Rocky wishes he were an otter! |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 9:41 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
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Location: Black Hills
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Befade wrote: Thanks for hearing me, Syd. I have a sense that James Stewart's family was a happy one and he was popular in high school. A lot of people with that background do feel at home where they grew up and they go to all their high school reunions.
Twas me, Bart, who was hearing you. [/b] |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 12:41 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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| And thanks for you, too Bart for hearing me......... |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:18 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
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Location: Black Hills
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Befade wrote: And thanks for you, too Bart for hearing me.........
"too"
AFAICT, Syd has not posted on IAWL in the past few days.
FWIW, I avoid high school reunions, too. HS was def not the high point of my existence. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 8:48 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12929
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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The Greatest Showman attempts to turn the career of P.T. Barnum into a musical about his creating a show showing human oddities and humbugs that empowered them into singing ensemble numbers about self-realization, with moderate success. The plot really doesn't amount to much, although the relationship between Barnum (Hugh Jackman) his wife Charity (Michelle Williams) and their daughters comes across as warm and touching. The ensemble numbers actually sound more or less the same.
Of the supporting cast, Zendaya, who I liked in Spider-Man: Homecoming, stands out as as a young mulatto trapeze artist who enters a romance with Barnum's white partner (Zac Efron); they have a very nice dance that amounts to an aerial ballet. Rebecca Ferguson plays Jenny Lind, and is dubbed by Loren Allred; the rest of the adult performers sing their own songs, which are in a modern style, including Jenny Lind's song. Keala Settle, who plays the bearded lady Lettie Lutz, has a nice voice. The others don't stand out for me.
This is being peddled as a successor to La-La Land, but is not in the same class. |
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Rocky Laocoon foretold of Troy's doom, only to find snaky water. They pulled him in and Rocky can't swim. Now Rocky wishes he were an otter! |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 8:27 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12929
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a lot of fun and better than the movie it's a sequel to. You don't have to see the first movie; this is a stand-alone with totally different characters. Dwayne Johnson is his usual likeable self. At one point we see the characters strengths and weaknesses and his character has "none" under weaknesses. Karen Gillan is delightful as Ruby Roundhouse, Killer of Men, the avatar of a shy girl who prefers to stand aside at life. Ruby is scantily dressed and one of her talents is dance fighting. They and their companions have to return a jewel (Macguffin) to the idol (bigger Macguffin) without losing all three of their lives.
One of the challenges is they all chose avatars that are opposite from their real characters, so that they have to change to win the game. |
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Rocky Laocoon foretold of Troy's doom, only to find snaky water. They pulled him in and Rocky can't swim. Now Rocky wishes he were an otter! |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 2:07 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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"It's a Great Life" has always been my most disliked Christmas flick. My mother didn't like it, and I had a friend who hated it because it proved his own life was pointless. (He's the one who told me he hated his mother because she didn't abort him, knowing that he'd almost certainly end up with family health problems, of which he inherited several.) He and I shared a fondness for "Scrooged." Actually, I rather like "IaGL" until the angel shows up--up to that point it's an interesting drama.
By the way, we didn't get to a movie while I was in SC this time. My mother claimed she was up to it, but she's getting pretty fragile now and we couldn't find something that hit just the right location and timing--though "Murder on the Orient Express" was still playing at one theater. (And I think my sister has a bit of Trump regret--though we didn't discuss politics, she did mention that she and her husband are annoyed by his Tweeting.) |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 9:24 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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Does anyone actually like It's a Meh Life? I mean, I adore James Stewart and hate that movie.
My favorite Christmas movie remains The Apartment. Which is also my favorite New Years Eve movie. It is great enough to cover both holidays. And then some. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 2:26 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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I watched Holiday Inn thinking it was a Christmas movie since Bing Crosby's White Christmas was introduced. Well.....it was a good choice. It was fun to watch Bing and Fred Astaire do their routines. And there was plenty of snow and New Years was celebrated too.
I thought it was a sweet quaint idea to have performances just on holidays. There was nothing for Memorial Day but Lincoln's birthday was.....well....definitely dated with Bing and his partner in blackface. |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 2:44 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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Bart......These days my mind does weird things. I forget every thing that happened in the last minute. I don't know why I confused you with Syd......I know that I was surprised thinking Syd would write that.
By the by, Syd.....did you like Wonderful?
I saw Jumanji and Pitch Perfect 3. I thought Jumanji was clever....Bethany reminded me of my granddaughter who was sitting next to me. Ruby's dancing had my autistic grandson hiding his face and squeaking protests on my other side. I enjoyed Pitch with my granddaughter who is really into singing and dancing.
I feel the need to see 5 more current adult films........ |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:11 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6963
Location: Black Hills
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A couple of recent viewings over the break....
"Downsizing" - attempts at Swiftian satire, with Matt Damon as a credible shrinking man, but seems to abandon all the interesting (and comic) potential of the sci-fi premise so meticulously set up in the first 45 minutes. The rest of the film doesn't really require Matt, or his romantic interest, to be tiny. It's just plain social satire, with a gimmick. Enjoyable, but somehow muddled in spite of all the bursts of Payne-ian brilliance.
And I question that a modest income would constitute great wealth if you were reduced in size. Wouldn't you still need to pay someone to make tiny things, and indeed, wouldn't the challenges of miniaturization involve more, not less, expense? (how would they make clothes from ordinary cloth fibers? Rough-hewn chafing would seem certain otherwise...) Most of the cost of things is not the raw material.
"Darkest Hour" -- excellent. Good script and tight focus on the epochal moment in Churchill's life, showing respect to both sides on the question of trying to broker peace with Herr Hitler. Several scenes, even though one is familiar with the event that will unfold, pack some emotional punch - I liked the scene of Winnie's descent into the Tube and impromptu conferencing with commuters on a possible war resolution. And kudos to Joe Wright for resisting a romantic subplot with Lily James and concomitant irrelevance and distraction. Directorial restraint is a wonderful thing. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 11:23 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6963
Location: Black Hills
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 11:24 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
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Location: Black Hills
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| Duplicate post |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| knox |
| Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 5:26 pm |
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Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 1246
Location: St. Louis
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| Payne seemed to have 2 movies he wanted to make, one about suburban Omahans downsizing, the other about crazed Norwegian survivalist ecofreaks. Stuffing them into one movie made quite a mess. And does Payne believe there are no predator species in a Norwegian wood? Matt Damon and Chris Waltz would have been cat food in 10 minutes. |
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