Movie Thread

[mamselle]

OK, thanks.

Maybe it was just some lurid publicity I saw at the time, then.

Appreciate the invitation to re-set.

M.

[Sun_Worshiper]

What would your examples be of movies which are representative of a particular genre or category? Not necessarily the best or your favorite, but the one that fulfills your criteria for a particular genre/type/style? For example, which movie is the most representative of "Heist Movies," or "Films Adapted from Classic Television Series," or "Mysteries with Detective Haunted By Tragic Pasts?"

I got thinking about this question because some friends were discussing "what makes a good 80s action movie?" And they wouldn't accept my answer of "Con Air" because it was released in the late 90s, even though by their metrics is checked all the "80s action movie" criteria. To a college freshmen, would it seem any different stylistically, tonally, or textually from "Die Hard" or "Rambo?"

(I will say that part of that discussion focused on the ways other genres bled into the idea of "action," with both "Predator" and "RoboCop" being standouts. Personally I classify the original "Terminator" as a horror movie rather than an action movie, but you see how we got in the weeds of this particular discussion).

Inception, and the Oceans movies come to mind as recent heist movies that exemplify the norms of the genre.

Is "dark comedy" an actual genre (not a big film buff here)? I watched I, Tonya last week on a plane, and laughed through the entire film. Then I sat there trying not to cry on the plane for 2 hours as I thought about all the people I've known who were remarkably and singularly talented, but for whom life just didn't work out for reasons pretty much beyond their control. [sigh]

But oh, my. When little Tonya walked in wearing her fur coat, I about pooped myself from laughing so hard.

Very good and funny movie, although I can see how it is not to everyone's taste.

[ab_grp]

We watched The Godfather parts 1 and 2 over the weekend.  I had read the Puzo book years ago and listened to it on audio recently, and we had both previously seen these movies.  I think I mentioned on the reading thread that I had really enjoyed the book and that listening to the audiobook gave me a lot of new insights and made me appreciate the story more.  I know I am in the minority of thinking that the movies were just okay.  I'm not sure which I prefer to the other.  They had some great scenes; however, I think the book was far better.  It only covers the first movie and the Vito-in-his-youth part of the second, but it gave (IMO!) a much better set up for how things played out at the end, both in terms of building up various relationships between people and also laying the plot and strategy out better.  Of course, at 3 hours for the first and 3.5 for the second, I am somewhat thankful that they didn't expand more on some of this, but I think other parts could have been trimmed down a lot to make room for what I think was the most interesting part of the book.  There are also some characters who are either given much less time in the movie than the book or are not really mentioned at all.  Maybe the strangest example of this is Vito's first and long-time consigliere prior to Tom.  That character (Genco) was cut from the first movie but appears in the second in earlier times, though as far as I can tell they never explicitly said who he was, or at least that he ended up having that role of consigliere.  I know there are other versions of the movies, so maybe those include more of these kinds of scenes and back story.  I probably don't need to see either of these movies again for a while, as I do not think they are quite as good as others seem to think (and, again, the book is way better!), but I would be interested to see The Godfather Saga, which combines the first two movies chronologically and also has other footage.  As for the third movie, I've seen it, my husband hasn't, and I am not chomping at the bit to rewatch that one.

[hmaria1609]

The 3rd "The Godfather" installment was re-released for its 30th anniversary in late 2020. Francis Ford Coppola made some edits for the re-release.

[ab_grp]

Over a week later and I'm still trying to process Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.  Not usually my thing (StatSpouse wanted to see it, so....).  Completely bizarre.  But, somehow, it's still with me. 

What did others think? 

Okay, we watched this last night.  Wow! I will need to see it again.  There was so much going on! It reminds me of Kung Fu Hustle, which we enjoyed a lot.  This movie certainly had some very memorable scenes.  I laughed (mostly due to one of the main plot devices... I almost spit out my drink at one point), I cried (quite a bit).  There's a lot to think about! Definitely bizarre. 

[Antiphon1]

Over a week later and I'm still trying to process Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.  Not usually my thing (StatSpouse wanted to see it, so....).  Completely bizarre.  But, somehow, it's still with me. 

What did others think? 

Okay, we watched this last night.  Wow! I will need to see it again.  There was so much going on! It reminds me of Kung Fu Hustle, which we enjoyed a lot.  This movie certainly had some very memorable scenes.  I laughed (mostly due to one of the main plot devices... I almost spit out my drink at one point), I cried (quite a bit).  There's a lot to think about! Definitely bizarre.

We watched it a week or so ago.  Given the cast, director and writers, you'd think it would be awesome.  Hubby and I decided it might be the 2020s version of PeeWee's Playhouse.  Better viewed while chemically altered. 

And before you ask, yes.  Yes, I did some baked PeeWee viewing way back in the day.  Don't know what that says about the small children who watched it, though. 

[fishbrains]

Okay, finally watched The Wolf of Wall Street. Flat-out boring, and very long. It's not like I hated the characters, I just had zero interest in them or what they did. Even when they took off their clothes. I'm not sure what I was supposed to get out of the movie other than we should legalize Quaaludes.

[spork]

Okay, finally watched The Wolf of Wall Street. Flat-out boring, and very long. It's not like I hated the characters, I just had zero interest in them or what they did. Even when they took off their clothes. I'm not sure what I was supposed to get out of the movie other than we should legalize Quaaludes.

You might like Margin Call (2011). Excellent cast playing deliberately unsympathetic characters. The movie is all dialogue.

[Sun_Worshiper]

Okay, finally watched The Wolf of Wall Street. Flat-out boring, and very long. It's not like I hated the characters, I just had zero interest in them or what they did. Even when they took off their clothes. I'm not sure what I was supposed to get out of the movie other than we should legalize Quaaludes.

I have to agree, even as a fan of Scorsese and others involved in this film. It is long and repetitive, with awful characters that are impossible to get invested in. 

[clean]

FINALLY saw Top Gun Maverick!  In a Theater to boot!
I had intended to see it weeks ago, but then I had to fly to Florida because my dad was sent to the ER and the hospital for 5 days.  Then I started 2 online classes AND tested COVID positive for 3 full weeks (and foolish me, I took that as a reason that I had to stay home!!   I now wonder, after all the others I have heard from why this is now optional?)

Anyway, I recommend it!  I recommend it in a BIG Screen format!  (If you can do it in one of those D BOX seats (if those are still around) or maybe later on one of those face things that the kids (my brother's family) has (to play some Star Wars game on.)

[saffie]

Trying to catch more movies before the fall semester starts.  I did see Top Gun: Maverick on the big screen.  Also seen recently, Official Competition, a satire on the film industry (in Spanish, with English subtitles), and Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, a sweet "feel-good" movie based on the book. Both entertaining, but very different.

Bullet Train seems to be the big movie opening this weekend, may go see it next week when the theater isn't crowded.

[ab_grp]

We watched Star Wars episode VIII last night, so just one more to go, thank goodness! I am very grateful for the YouTube channel I came across that does brief recaps to help me remember episode VII.  Despite watching that one just a few months ago, I could barely remember it.  Episode VIII was better IMO, though it did seem overly long and melodramatic.  There was one particularly cool part.  I think we will try to watch the final movie next weekend after some recovery time.

[ab_grp]

We watched Star Wars episode IX last night as planned.  It was entertaining, and there were some touching parts, but meh.  A lot of what was going to result from a particular event was easy to figure out, so some of the drama was lost IMO.  Like the other movies in the final trilogy, it felt to me like they were really trying to bank on nostalgia.  (Despite?) being someone who grew up with the original movies and had Star Wars everything everywhere as a kid, I didn't look forward to those parts.  They felt manipulative.  There was one scene in particular at the end that just seemed really out there and a little creepy, but apparently it is explained in a companion book?! I guess they're okay for normal people going to movies to just wonder if a particular character is a big yuck or not.  In any case, my husband is a bigger fan of the whole shebang, though not a megafan.  I think we both felt about the same about each movie of the final trilogy, unfortunately. 

[ab_grp]

We had planned to watch Pig last night, since my husband has been looking forward to it, but he was feeling a little down and was more interested in something a bit lighter.  That is how we ended up watching Teen Beach Movie, which I guess must be from the same people as High School Musical.  It has all the same elements.  The story centers on a teenage couple in Hawaii who just love to surf and are happy together.  Unfortunately, the young lady had made an agreement to spend the "serious" part of high school at a fancy school back east.  She has to get on a plane and leave this life behind imminently, but not before surfing that one last big set of waves! Something happens while out on the stormy sea, and the couple suddenly find themselves in a beach movie that happens to be a favorite of the young man, set in 1962.  Hilarity ensues, and there is a lot of singing and dancing.  Honestly, it was a cute movie, and we enjoyed it once it got going.  This kind of thing has certainly been done before, but I thought they handled it pretty cleverly anyway.   There's a lot worthy of some eye rolling, but they really play into that aspect.  There is a part 2, apparently, so I'm sure we will watch that eventually.

[hmaria1609]

During our Staff Day yesterday, I went to a documentary screening about DC's go-go music and its influence in the city. Lots of laughs, cheers, applause, and commentary throughout from us attendees! :D