Last Movie You Watched

Unfortunately this movie was just bad-bad not the good-bad I was hoping for. It's written like a dark comedy but plays everything straight. So it's just a weird action movie about Mel Gibson Santa. It isn't particularly well paced no is the action shot well really. The pieces for a dark comedy feel obvious and easy to see. But it never gets there. Just a big swing and miss with writers/directors (same people) who didn't know what they had.

Gibson and Goggins are fun as always but that's about the only thing keeping this one remotely watchable

 

So last week my burgeoning love for "royal/obscenely wealthy reveal romances" was shared with my sister and mom, and we thought it'd be fun to watch either Crazy Rich Asians or Welcome to America. My sister chose the latter, so we put it on. It was really fun to revisit that movie again. I hadn't seen it in so long! My sister hadn't seen it in even longer, and had forgotten nearly every part. Not helping was the fact we were watching the explicit version, which I don't remember watching last time. So...that was an interesting experience. (We offered to watch the movie with my dad too, but he had actually watched part of it earlier and wasn't interested. Besides, my mom, sister, and I all end up talking over movies when we watch them, something that annoys my dad to no end.)

I have a lot I could say about this movie, but I'll just leave it as being a fun late 80s movie with a solid heart. Yes, we're aware of the sequel; no, I'm not sure if/when we'll see it.

 

So. MANK. The new Fincher piece on Netflix. I am (obviously) a Welles fan so I have a bit of understanding of the subject matter of this film. It largely plays it fast and loose with the facts. It operates from Pauline Kael's (woefully flawed) perspective on Welles and the writing of Citizen Kane. It inserts a political arc for Mank that isn't real and feels shoehorned in keeping the film from feeling well done IMO. It's unnecessary, as is the addition of a director friend of Mank's who made propaganda films and feels so guilty he kills himself...this person never existed and it feels almost ghoulish to include it? IDK.

But on the good side, Fincher directs the hell out of his late father's script. Given that his dad wrote it, it's a passion project for Fincher and he is maybe too adherent to it? The film is just drop dead gorgeous as well. It wouldn't shock me if Erik Messerschmidt is nominated for and wins the Cinematography Oscar. It's filmed to look like an era appropriate movie, the techniques and choices made for angles and acting. Everything just gives it this great Old Hollywood look and feel.

The acting is top notch as well. Oldman hams the hell out of a role that requires ham. The supporting cast is incredibly strong with no real weak links.

Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor absolutely deserve the same treatment as Messerschmidt with a nomination for the score. Beautiful work.

Overall, there is a lot to like here. But unfortunately it's mostly of the superficial "this film is good to look at" variety. It hits all the right aesthetic and nostalgia buttons if you love your Old Hollywood but ultimately never really seems to hit it's stride as a story.

High recommend because if you have Netflix, it's free.

 

Airplane! for the millionth time.

Why wasn't Robert Stack given the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor? I'm too lazy to look it up but I'm guessing it's because Leslie Nielsen probably won it that year?

 

This week I watched Mank and Ammonite. I've also started going through Hitchcock's earlier filmography, specifically his silent and early speaking films from the 20's and 30's before he made the move to America, there's a lot to get through... gonna take me a while.

 

I read a book about Altamont a while back and found it funny that George Lucas was there working on the camera crew but he was so far away from the stage that he didn't get dosed with acid or even know about the deteriorating conditions and violence until after it was all over. I'm also pretty sure it said none of his footage wound up in the film.

 

I watched this last year, not knowing what it was really about except "some movie business stuff in the 70s Hollywood". 10-15 minutes (I believe) into it I suddenly realized that: "OMG, that's the f***ing Family!" Great subversion of expectations! :-D

--- Double Post Merged, Dec 10, 2020, Original Post Date: Dec 10, 2020 ---

Alien3 The Assembly Cut is my second favorite film of the franchise (after Alien). It maintains the suspence & atmosphere of the theatrical release but reworks the story into something that actually makes sense and is exciting to watch. It's fantastic!

Alien: Resurrection, though... That one is, despite all the talent attached and some exciting scenes, a garbage installment. I'd rather watch AvP than A:R ;-)

 

Someday if I rewatch Alien 3 I will see The Assembly Cut. Looks interesting, especially the first scene of Ripley been found on the beach. I really like that part, saw it on youtube.

 

Two very different movies:

Hacksaw Ridge

and

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part...

 

Actually, the first half of Hacksaw Ridge would fit very well with the family film Lego Movie.

It's the second half that's troublesome

 

I'm excited, Peter Jackson did a documentary about it due out next year and in addition to that for the first time since the 80s I think this movie is going to get an official release. I had a bootleg VHS as a teenager and I have a copy on my computer that's from a bootleg DVD that's just an old Laserdisc transfer but soon I can trade up for a nice digitally remastered version.

 

It's A Wonderful Life. I swear I cry every time. One of my top-5 favs.

 

Blatant Agatha Christie rip-off, to the point that it almost feels like a parody. Not bad, but definitely not great IMO. I'm not a fan of Daniel Craig at all and I thought he was woeful in this, which didn't help. Beautifully shot though, very watchable.

Good fun.


Edit: Ana Da Armas would make a great Darth Zannah.

 

I usually watch that every year during the Holidays but I haven't this year. Maybe I will tomorrow. My Christmas Eve movie marathon was Die Hard, Die Hard 2 and Scrooged.

 

"YOU'RE ONLY SUPPOSED TO BLOW THE BLOODY DOORS OFF!"