Recent theatrical viewings

[Trevor]

WESTERN STARS (2019): Bruce Springsteen performs his 19th studio album (with a 30 piece chamber orchestra) in a 100-year old barn, introducing each piece with a short narrated film reflecting on the upcoming songs theme. A well-made, laid-back concert film; how well you respond to it will obviously depends on your attitude to Springsteen's music. Personally I stopped paying attention to Bruce in 1987 and, although the songs here are decent folky pop, I won't be buying the album. 3/5.

I stopped paying attention to BP when he became part of the Artists United Against Apartheid group: nothing wrong with being against that horrible state of affairs but he -and others - continued to allow their music to be sold here under apartheid. 

[Alex]

WESTERN STARS (2019): Bruce Springsteen performs his 19th studio album (with a 30 piece chamber orchestra) in a 100-year old barn, introducing each piece with a short narrated film reflecting on the upcoming songs theme. A well-made, laid-back concert film; how well you respond to it will obviously depends on your attitude to Springsteen's music. Personally I stopped paying attention to Bruce in 1987 and, although the songs here are decent folky pop, I won't be buying the album. 3/5.

I stopped paying attention to BP when he became part of the Artists United Against Apartheid group: nothing wrong with being against that horrible state of affairs but he -and others - continued to allow their music to be sold here under apartheid. 

While I can't comment for sure on this particular case he may not have had any choice in the matter. Musicians have very little control over their music once they release it on a record label. For example if a company want's to use a song to advertise something it is generally completely up to the record company if it get used or not. The one exception I know of is Metallica who have a 50/50 say in how their music is used and they had to go to court to get that much.

[chefzombie]

yeah, that's something that really gets my goat, the fact that far too many musicians have no say in how their music is used, especially when it comes to political campaigns. i expect a lack of integrity from politicians, but i'm horrified to see that same lack from the recording industry. they should have more respect for the people who make their money for them.

[Rev. Powell]

JUDY: An aging Judy Garland drinks, pops pills and tries to hold it together during an extended engagement in London. The movie is just a delivery mechanism for Renee Zellweger's Best Actress-bait comeback performance, and it succeeds on that level (she has to be the front runner). 3/5.

[Rev. Powell]

PARASITE (2019): Through deceit, a poor family worm their way into roles as servants for the rich Parks, but a secret in the house will turn their scheme upside down. Just solid storytelling from Bong Joon Ho, as the tale moves from dark comedy to suspense, all the while weighed down in the melancholy of economic hopelessness. 4.5/5.

[BoyScoutKevin]

When all closes down on Thanksgiving in the city in which I live, the cinemas stay open, so I hope to see this on Thanksgiving Day, even though they don't need my money, as it has already grossed $127M over last weekend, which sets a record for a Disney/Pixar animated film on opening weekend, and is 3X the box office of the next 4 films combined.

Frozen 2

I'm especially looking to see whether it is as dark as it is suppose to be, or, at least darker than the 1st film, and whether I pick up the references to geocide that are supposedly in the film.

More next time.

[Rev. Powell]

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (2019): A cynical reporter reassesses his life after he's assigned to write a profile of Mr. Rogers. Tom Hanks is just fine as Fred Rogers, but ad campaign notwithstanding, this movie isn't about the children's TV host; it's a sentimental crowd-pleaser about a man reconnecting with his estranged father. 3.5/5.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Frozen II, or, 10 Reasons to See it (IHHO)

01. The action is better than in the previous film.

02. The emotional impact is greater than in the previous film.

03. The in-jokes, especially the one that occurs, when the characters are playing charades.

04. The after credit scene, or, why one should not walk out during the credits.

05. It does what a good sequel should do. If the 1st film introduces the characters, then the sequel should expand on the characters, as here.

06. The characters are more complex here than they are in the original.

07. Unlike alot of animated films which are simple in story (see the trailers beforehand) this is not a simple story.

08. It is subversive. Remove Arendelle and plug-in America, and the story works just as well.

09. Animation is becoming more and more like live action. Note the Lost in the Woods scene, that is not shot like animation. It is shot as if it was live action.

10. Shakespearian. Just as Shakespeare liven the moments of danger in his plays with humor, so the writers here liven the moments of danger with humor.

Next time: reasons not to see it and final thoughts.

[Rev. Powell]

FORD V. FERRARI (2019): Henry Ford II hires a couple of maverick outsiders to build and drive a car to defeat his rival, Ferrari, in the Le Mans race. At 2.5 hours of racing drama, the movie should have been a little sleeker and faster, but Matt Damon and Christian Bale's macho charisma takes it across the finish line. 3/5.

[BoyScoutKevin]

We had reasons to see Frozen II. Here are (IHHO) reasons not to see it, and some final thoughts.

Once upon a time there was a little princess whose parents did not let her see Frozen, and in the next kingdom there was another little princess whose parents let her see Frozen. So, when our 1st princess went over to the next kingdom for a playdate with the 2nd princess. One can guess what happened. The 1st little princess came back singing Let It Go, complete with handgestures.

Reason #1
The music

He does not understand why the music is so popular. There is not 1 song in neither I nor II that he likes.

Reason #2
Big Change in Plot

If he can remember correctly, while the girls' mother died when her ship went down at sea, their father did not die with their mother, as in II, but sometime later.


Reason #3
You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too.

They save the forest without destroying Arendelle, but, what if they could only save the forest by destroying Arendelle?


Final Thoughts
1. Genocide

I won't disagree with anyone who says genocide is a theme in the film, which is fairly dark for a children's film, and even dark for an adult film, but, if it is there, I'd thought it'd be more overt.

2. Frozen III

Will we see a III? Not accoring to the directors. I + II = a complete story. But for a film that has made to date, over $1B, and only the 3rd to do so, I can't see them not doing a III.

3. Hans

Will we see Hans from I? Not if the directors have any say, we won't, as they dislike the character. Yet we may see the character if there is a III, as taking the directors by surprise, is how many audience members like the character. Which is really no surprise. Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. The Joker and Batman. The suppose villain is often more popular than the hero.

Next time: Star Wars : the Rise of Skywalker

[Dr. Whom]

the movie should have been a little sleeker and faster, 

I see what you did there

[Dr. Whom]

The Dead Don't Die (2019)

Jim Jarmush's deadpan nihilistic zombie parody. He didn't bother much with the plot. The movie is just a succession of scenes to allow his cast to fool around with the characters and the genre conventions, while occasionally breaking through the fourth wall.

Brilliant

[Rev. Powell]

LITTLE WOMEN (2019): During the civil war, four sisters struggle to reconcile their artistic ambitions and desire for independence with romance and societal expectations. A very solid adaptation of the popular classic, skillfully navigating between flashbacks and slightly updated with a contemporary feminist outlook; the audience I saw it with (almost all women, with a few dates tagging along) loved it. 4/5.

[BoyScoutKevin]

All trailers and nothing but trailers.

The domestic  boxoffice for 2019 was supposedly down from 2018, but, it may not have been that bad.

January
The dumping ground for "little" films that can't find a play date for the previous year, but, there are a couple of "big" films being released in January, becuase the play dates were so crowded in 2019. And 2020 looks to be just as crowded.

Black Widow
the 1st film in Phase IV of the MCU, and it appears to be something of a prequel to the previous films.

Free Guy
with Ryan Reynolds. See what happens when 2 studios merge. While a 20th Century film, the distributor of note is the Walt Disney Company, and they--apparently--think highly of it, as the release date is July 3, which is a prime release date for films.

Mulan
of all the animated films to live action, this one--again apparently--shows the greatest difference between the 2 films. And to date, it appears to be the nearest thing to a Chinese film that is not made--totally--by the Chinese.

Bad Boys
a sequel. the most noticable feature for me was how much taller Will Smith is than Martin Lawrence. Or 5 and a half inches taller.

James Bond
the latest and while not a knock on Daniel Craig, of all the actors who have played Bond to date, he is my least favorite. And the series is the longest running continuous film series from Hollywood, as the 1st Bond films date from the early '60's.

1917
the WWI film which is now showing in theaters.

Top Gun
again a sequel. This time with Tom Cruise.

Violence
It may be that he is getting older, but, as he ages, he finds the violence in films, within the rating system, is becoming more and more disturbing. The only film trailer he did not find violent was the one for the last film.

And we will see what we will see.

[Rev. Powell]

UNCUT GEMS (2019): Howard, a jeweler to the stars with a serious gambling addiction, thinks he can leverage a rare black opal for a big score. Adam Sandler's manic performance, overlapping patter, and glitzy high-life cameos from Kevin Garnet and the Weeknd sustain a buzz that captures Howard's addiction to action as he juggles multiple schemes and pushes his luck to the ultimate limit. 4/5.