Recent theatrical viewings

BoyScoutKevin · February 19, 2019, 06:28:54 PM

#1 at the American box office. Apparently, does not mean what it once did.

Another week.
Another film.
Another failure, or, at least some consider it a failure, even though it was #1 at the box office.

Alita : Battle Angel

Those who have seen it and are familiar with the Japanese magna series of books upon which it is based, say the problem is that the film tries to cram too much into one film. The 1st 2 books in the series + excerpts from the next 5 books.

We'll have to see whether the film does enought business to spawn any more films in the series, as it was originally planned to use the magna series to make more than 1 film.

Rev. Powell · February 20, 2019, 09:57:04 AM

GULLY BOY (2019): A poor young Muslim in Bombay struggles with criminal friends, parental expectations, class prejudice, and a jealous girlfriend while trying to rise up from the hard streets... ur, gullies... to become a rap star. Probably the most accessible to non-Indians Bollywood movie I've seen, with pro-Western values and no left-field dance numbers; the blandly universal follow-your-dreams-from-rags-to-riches plot helps. Thrill as the lava of Murad's words melts his shackles... well, not every Hindi rap line translates gracefully to English. Screening note: I saw it in a sold-out theater and I think I was the only white face in the room. Also, Indian films traditionally have ten-to-fifteen-minute intermissions (as the movies are always well over two hours); it's a welcome tradition I'd like to see longer Hollywood movies bring back. 2.5/5.

Rev. Powell · February 27, 2019, 09:51:35 AM

COLD WAR (2018): In cold war Europe a composer and a singer pursue a love affair across the decades and on both sides of the Iron Curtain. In black and white, it slowly pulls you in to a tale that could be a legendary romance or merely a mutual derangement; the extraordinary soundtrack tracks musical changes across the years. 3.5/5.

Trevor · February 28, 2019, 02:27:38 AM

I don't know if this counts as a theatrical viewing but I wanted to go see Bohemian Rhapsody last weekend: got there and the power was out in the mall.

Alex · February 28, 2019, 06:17:26 AM

Quote from: Trevor on February 28, 2019, 02:27:38 AM
I don't know if this counts as a theatrical viewing but I wanted to go see Bohemian Rhapsody last weekend: got there and the power was out in the mall.

You should have started a flash mob singing Bohemian Rhapsody.

Trevor · March 01, 2019, 08:50:45 AM

Quote from: Dark Alex on February 28, 2019, 06:17:26 AM
Quote from: Trevor on February 28, 2019, 02:27:38 AM
I don't know if this counts as a theatrical viewing but I wanted to go see Bohemian Rhapsody last weekend: got there and the power was out in the mall.

You should have started a flash mob singing Bohemian Rhapsody.

I couldn't get up the escalator to the cinemas: too old, too outa breath

BoyScoutKevin · March 02, 2019, 04:17:45 PM

And--at last--we have a winner.

How to Train Your Dragon : the Lost World
The 3rd and last in the series, which earned $55 million in its opening week.

We will see now if the film has legs. North of $27.5 million, it'll prove to have legs. South of $27.5 million, it'll prove to have no legs. Or, the figure that some give.

And we will see, what Universal Pictures, which owns Dreamworks, who made the film, does with the franchise if anything. While it does not have as many platforms, as Disney, to promote the franchise, it does have its worldwide theme parks, and we'll see if they put it in some shape or form into those.

3rd, thus more unoriginal than the next 4 films at the boxoffice. Earning as it did, more than those 4 films combined.

Last? We'll see. With that boxoffice, the powers that be, may decide to continue the franchise with 1 or more films to follow.

BoyScoutKevin · March 07, 2019, 06:23:28 PM

And it has legs!

How to Train Your Dragon : the Lost World
in its 2nd weekend in theaters, it earned $30 million, for a combined total of $85 million, and next week in its 3rd week in theaters, it should pass the $100 million mark. Of course, it'll have some stiff competition reaching that mark, as Captain Marvel opens and from advanced ticket sales, they expect the film to gross about $100 million at the box office.

Rev. Powell · March 08, 2019, 09:05:20 AM

BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY (2018): A former writer for the "Late Show with David Letterman" shares his obsession with "industrial musicals," internal productions from corporations popular in the 50s and 60s where singers and dancer extol the virtues of products like silicone and bathroom fixtures. You might imagine that he just shows funny clips; he does that, but wisely and unexpectedly widens the lens to cover sincere themes such as changing corporate cultures, the nature of obsession, the dignity of work, and the value of eccentricity. A crowd-pleaser, and your best chance to see footage from "The Bathrooms Are Coming!": "I cream, I dream..." 4/5

Rev. Powell · March 12, 2019, 08:45:19 AM

APOLLO 11 (2019): A collection of restored footage from NASA and other sources chronologically documenting the 8-day Apollo 11 mission that landed a man on the moon. Will the crew make it back safely? Is the Earth really round? Did Stanley Kubrick accidentally leave a visible boom mic in frame? You'll have to watch to find out. 4/5.

Ticonderoga 64 · March 17, 2019, 06:30:40 PM

Captain Marvel: cant wait til AVENGERS: ENDGAME next month!

Rev. Powell · March 19, 2019, 09:05:37 AM

FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY (2019): A girl from a wrestling family in Norwich, England gets called up to the U.S. WWE, leaving her jealous brother behind scrapping in the family-run minor league. The script is obvious, but the dramedy moves are well executed by pro performers, entertaining the rubes (myself included). A tru-ish story sure to please wrestling fans. Based on audience reactions I'm guessing most people would like it more than I did. 3/5.

Trevor · March 19, 2019, 09:12:58 AM

Quote from: Rev. Powell on March 19, 2019, 09:05:37 AM
FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY (2019): A girl from a wrestling family in Norwich, England gets called up to the U.S. WWE, leaving her jealous brother behind scrapping in the family-run minor league. The script is obvious, but the dramedy moves are well executed by pro performers, entertaining the rubes (myself included). A tru-ish story sure to please wrestling fans. Based on audience reactions I'm guessing most people would like it more than I did. 3/5.

The trailer's very funny:

The Rock: "Can you smell what The Rock is cooking>"
Nic Frost (not impressed) "Yeah and I'm Vin Diesel, mate."

BoyScoutKevin · March 20, 2019, 03:11:23 PM

Quote from: Rev. Powell on March 19, 2019, 09:05:37 AM
FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY (2019): A girl from a wrestling family in Norwich, England gets called up to the U.S. WWE, leaving her jealous brother behind scrapping in the family-run minor league. The script is obvious, but the dramedy moves are well executed by pro performers, entertaining the rubes (myself included). A tru-ish story sure to please wrestling fans. Based on audience reactions I'm guessing most people would like it more than I did. 3/5.

While it did not seem like it to me, it was actually a joint U.S./U.K. production, which may be why it--seemingly--did better over there, then it did here. That 1st week that Captain Marvel opened in the U.K. and was number 1 at the box office, this was the 2nd film at the box office. I don't think it ever got that high over here.

Rev. Powell · March 26, 2019, 08:54:39 AM

OUT OF BLUE (2018): Feeling a mysterious personal connection to the victim, a New Orleans cop (Patricia Clarkson) becomes obsessed with the murder of a female astrophysicist, searching for a motive long after the case is officially closed. Adapted from a Martin Amis novel, this has all the elements of a good movie, but never really figures itself out; even the movie's suggested themes of subjectivity, persona and gender turn out to be a bunch of red herrings in the end. 2.5/5.