Recent theatrical viewings

Rev. Powell · June 24, 2021, 08:55:09 AM

THE SPARKS BROTHERS: Edgar Wright's nearly exhaustive documentary on the eccentric cult pop band featuring the Mael brothers, whose career is now going into it's sixth decade. The brothers' mystique and image is more interesting than the actual music (sorry, Sparks fans), and although two-and-a-quarter hours is a little long for casual fans, I'd rather watch this energetic doc than listen to the unaccompanied albums (again, sorry Sparks fans). 3/5.

Rev. Powell · July 01, 2021, 11:20:51 AM

ZOLA: Based on an infamous Twitter thread, this movie tells the story of a stripper's ill-fated "ho trip" to Florida with a dancer she just met and a couple of her male friends. Some great performances, especially by the two female leads (Taylour Paige and Riley Keough), but pretty damn sleazy for an art film. It may found a cliche of the near-future: the Twitter thread was better. 3/5.

Trevor · July 01, 2021, 01:23:34 PM

I won (I believe) an IMAX experience with one of our local cinema chains Ster-Kinekor and was hoping to see either F9 or Black Widow but then we went into Level 4 lockdown and all cinemas had to close.

Rev. Powell · July 06, 2021, 09:24:31 AM

Once again, I was in the theater alone, this time for

SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED): Never before seen performances from 1969's Harlem Cultural Festival (aka "the black Woodstock"). The lineup was actually better than Woodstock (although to be fair, it was spread out over 6 weeks): young Stevie Wonder, old Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone... and that's just a small taste of the onstage talent. In between acts, director Questlove does an excellent job of providing historical context of 1969 Harlem, where each performer sat on their career arc, and, most meaningfully, what it meant to the attendees to (finally) celebrate black culture on an epic scale. 4.5/5. Best seen on the big screen, but it is screening on Hulu.

RCMerchant · July 06, 2021, 10:58:05 AM

^I really need to see this.
The Revolution Will Not be Televised.
I have that on a t shirt with Gil Scott Heron on the front I bought some years back.

I lived in the Bronx- I never got in a fight or got in trouble in the Bronx in the late 70's early 80's. Even with the place burning down around.

http://youtu.be/EdhoX1Xu6ZI

Trevor · July 06, 2021, 11:12:00 AM

Quote from: RCMerchant on July 06, 2021, 10:58:05 AM
^I really need to see this.
The Revolution Will Not be Televised.
I have that on a t shirt with Gil Scott Heron on the front I bought some years back.

I lived here in the Bronx- I never got in a fight or got in trouble in the Bronx in the late 70's early 80's. Even with the place burning down around.

http://youtu.be/EdhoX1Xu6ZI

I got an enquiry regarding Gill Scott Heron about a year or so ago: this could probably relate to this, I don't know.

Rev. Powell · July 06, 2021, 11:31:10 AM

Quote from: Trevor on July 06, 2021, 11:12:00 AM
Quote from: RCMerchant on July 06, 2021, 10:58:05 AM
^I really need to see this.
The Revolution Will Not be Televised.
I have that on a t shirt with Gil Scott Heron on the front I bought some years back.

I lived here in the Bronx- I never got in a fight or got in trouble in the Bronx in the late 70's early 80's. Even with the place burning down around.

http://youtu.be/EdhoX1Xu6ZI

I got an enquiry regarding Gill Scott Heron about a year or so ago: this could probably relate to this, I don't know.

There was a short bit with Hugh Masakela.

Allhallowsday · July 06, 2021, 11:39:21 AM

Quote from: Trevor on July 06, 2021, 11:12:00 AM
...I got an enquiry regarding Gill Scott Heron about a year or so ago: this could probably relate to this, I don't know.

Found footage from fifty years ago...!

http://youtu.be/U1Eg-vtSABE

https://youtu.be/U1Eg-vtSABE

RCMerchant · July 09, 2021, 03:05:56 PM

Quote from: Rev. Powell on July 06, 2021, 09:24:31 AM
Once again, I was in the theater alone, this time for

SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED): Never before seen performances from 1969's Harlem Cultural Festival (aka "the black Woodstock"). The lineup was actually better than Woodstock (although to be fair, it was spread out over 6 weeks): young Stevie Wonder, old Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone... and that's just a small taste of the onstage talent. In between acts, director Questlove does an excellent job of providing historical context of 1969 Harlem, where each performer sat on their career arc, and, most meaningfully, what it meant to the attendees to (finally) celebrate black culture on an epic scale. 4.5/5. Best seen on the big screen, but it is screening on Hulu.

I watched it today. Where the f**k was Gil Scott Heron? His song is in the trailer, as is in the title. He is nowhere to be seen. All the artists were fine. But I was real p**sed Gil Scott Heron was not in it.

Ticonderoga 64 · July 12, 2021, 06:48:35 PM

BLACK WIDOW(2021): finally released solo outing for Avenger Natasha Romanoff aka the Black Widow(Scarlett Johansson), nice mix of spy thriller/comic book storylines and special effects and action scenes are fantastic! This would certainly qualify for a sequel if Marvel hadnt killed off the character in AVENGERS: ENDGAME(2019)..

Still maybe another tale set in the past..

Rev. Powell · July 20, 2021, 08:57:25 AM

PIG: A truffle-hunting hermit goes to the big city (Portland) in search of his stolen pig. I would not have been nearly as excited to see this if it had been anyone but Nicolas Cage in the lead; this deep character study with mild action and mystery elements represents a critical comeback for Cage, or at least a reminder that the former Oscar winner is still capable of more than just hamming it up in direct-to-streaming releases. 3.5/5.

Rev. Powell · August 25, 2021, 08:47:12 AM

THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021): The U.S. government secretly offers supervillains a ten-year reduction in sentence if they go on a mission in to destroy a weapon of mass destruction in an unstable banana republic. Taking the phrase "cartoonish violence" as his inspiration, James Gunn sends Harley Quinn and a bunch of bums you've (hopefully) never heard of off on an orgy of wisecracks and stylish mass murder. 3.5/5.

Trevor · August 25, 2021, 09:55:40 AM

Quote from: Rev. Powell on July 06, 2021, 11:31:10 AM

There was a short bit with Hugh Masakela.

Nice: I had the privilege of meeting him about a year before he passed. My work mentor asked me if I wanted to meet him and I went "Nahh" and winked.

Trevor [walks up, hand outstretched to him] "Mr Masekela, it's a honour to meet you, my name's Trevor and welcome here."
HM [looks at my outstretched hand and then up at me] "I don't shake hands."
Trevor:

Oops.
HM: [gives me a bear hug]
Trevor:

Wow.

Rev. Powell · August 25, 2021, 09:56:23 AM

Quote from: Trevor on August 25, 2021, 09:55:40 AM
Quote from: Rev. Powell on July 06, 2021, 11:31:10 AM

There was a short bit with Hugh Masakela.

Nice: I had the privilege of meeting him about a year before he passed. My work mentor asked me if I wanted to meet him and I went "Nahh" and winked.

Trevor [walks up, hand outstretched to him] "Mr Masekela, it's a honour to meet you, my name's Trevor and welcome here."
HM [looks at my outstretched hand and then up at me] "I don't shake hands."
Trevor: Oops.
HM: [gives me a bear hug]
Trevor: Wow.

Cool story!

Rev. Powell · September 01, 2021, 09:12:41 AM

CODA: The title stands for "Children of Deaf Adults." High school senior Ruby, the only person in her family who can hear, struggles to balance her obligation to translate for her family's fishing business with her interest in pursuing a career in music. Predictable coming of age storyline, suitably heartwarming, and the script requires Ruby to provide embarrassing translations for her bawdy father regularly enough to keep you chuckling. 3/5.