The Cinema Thread

[Vrede too]

Republicans and Democrats agree on one thing: The Afghan war wasn't worth it, AP-NORC poll shows

bush still says it was a success and that he has no regrets.

Makes one wonder what the goal was.

Black Widow
PG-13, 2021, Action/Adventure, 2h 13m

Tomatometer 79%
Audience Score 91%

Critics Consensus
Black Widow's deeper themes are drowned out in all the action, but it remains a solidly entertaining standalone adventure that's rounded out by a stellar supporting cast.

Audience Says
Black Widow serves up another savory helping of the blockbuster Marvel formula, with a fun family dynamic adding extra character development in the midst of all the action.

I'm not a huge Marvel fan, but this is a rollicking good women-driven film. Florence Pugh is a good one for Scarlett Johansson to pass the torch to.

[Vrede too]

Oldie but goodie:

The Dead Zone (film)

Reception

The Dead Zone received very positive reviews on release. It holds an approval rating of 88% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 50 reviews, with an average score of 7.7/10. The site's consensus reads, "The Dead Zone combines taut direction from David Cronenberg and a rich performance from Christopher Walken to create one of the strongest Stephen King adaptations." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 69 out of 100 based on 8 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half stars, describing The Dead Zone as by far the best of the half-a-dozen cinematic adaptations of King's novels to that date. He praised Cronenberg's direction for successfully weaving the supernatural into the everyday, and noted believable performances by the entire cast, especially Walken: "Walken does such a good job of portraying Johnny Smith, the man with the strange gift, that we forget this is science fiction or fantasy or whatever and just accept it as this guy's story." Janet Maslin of The New York Times referred to the film as "a well-acted drama more eerie than terrifying, more rooted in the occult than in sheer horror." ...

I agree. Many Stephen King adaptations are pure crap. It's also refreshing to see Christopher Walken playing it straight rather than chewing the scenery.

[Vrede too]

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a 2021 American supernatural comedy film directed by Jason Reitman, who co-wrote it with Gil Kenan. It is the sequel to Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989), and the fourth film in the Ghostbusters franchise. The film stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, and Paul Rudd, alongside Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver reprising their characters from the earlier films. Set 32 years after the events of Ghostbusters II, it follows a single mother and her children who move to an Oklahoma farm they inherited from her estranged father Egon Spengler, a member of the original Ghostbusters.

... The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the cast's performances, Reitman's direction, nostalgic tone, and its respectful tribute to Ramis, with criticism mostly being directed towards its screenplay and fan service. It grossed $204.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $75 million.

A sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, is set to be released on March 29, 2024....

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 63% of 306 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife crosses the streams between franchise revival and exercise in nostalgia -- and this time around, the bustin' mostly feels good". Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 45 out of 100 based on 47 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an 82% positive score, and 69% said they would definitely recommend it....

Accolades

(multi)

Not bad.

Mckenna Grace, just 17, has been slaying Hollywood. Gifted, The Bad Seed, etc.

... For playing an abused teenager in The Handmaid's Tale (2021–2022), Grace was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, making her the first child recognized for a guest acting Emmy. She appeared in the supernatural comedy Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), earning critical praise and a Critics' Choice Super Award nomination. In 2022, Grace wrote, executive produced, and starred in The Bad Seed Returns, and portrayed Jan Broberg in A Friend of the Family....

[Vrede too]

30th anniversary year I rewatched:

Jurassic Park (film)

It holds up well

[Vrede too]

Greatest xmas movies of all time?

My opinion:

Spoiler:

Die Hard
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Elf

My house, not necessarily my picks, but I do like
Elf,
It's a Wonderful Life,
Bad Santa,
A Christmas Story and
Die Hard.

More from the family and some of my occasionals

Miracle on 34th St (1947)
Scrooged
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Carol (1951)

I just watched 20 year old Elf for the first time in forever. As sweet as the syrup Buddy loves, and as irresistible

... It became a major critical and commercial success, grossing $220 million worldwide against a $33 million budget. Ferrell's performance as Buddy was praised by critics and audiences alike, with many calling it one of his best performances.... It has been hailed by many as a modern classic, and is often listed as one of the best Christmas films of all time.

I'd forgotten that 23 year old Zooey Deschanel stars. Helluva career since. Kickass rest of the cast:
Will Ferrell
James Caan
Bob Newhart
Ed Asner
Mary Steenburgen
Peter Dinklage
Amy Sedaris
Andy Richter
Jon Favreau, etc

[billy.pilgrim]

Did you know that Jim Carey was first choice as Buddy?
Or so I read somewhere.

[Vrede too]

Did you know that Jim Carey was first choice as Buddy?
Or so I read somewhere.

I didn't know. Wiki agrees with you, somewhat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_(film)#Development

David Berenbaum initially wrote the script in 1993, with Chris Farley and Jim Carrey being early candidates to play Buddy.

Both have done good work, as well as trash. They would have been very different Buddys from Ferrell.

Berenbaum's screenplay underwent uncredited rewrites by Scot Armstrong, Chris Henchy, and the writing team of Adam McKay and Will Ferrell. Garry Shandling was offered the role of Walter Hobbs but declined.

I never liked him much, and I'll bet he really really regrets his choice. I'm glad Caan got it, instead.

Wanda Sykes was originally cast as the Gimbels manager Wanda but later dropped out.

I like her. I'll bet she really really regrets her choice.

Terry Zwigoff was offered to direct the film, but he turned it down in favor of Bad Santa (2003).

Not as lucrative as it turns out, but understandable. Maybe his Elf would not have been as good

According to Favreau, the script was initially "much darker" and did not interest him, although he was interested in working with Ferrell's first post-SNL movie. Asked to rewrite it, a turning point came when he realized he could make Buddy's world an homage to the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. This allowed him to conceive of a movie that could be PG rated as opposed to the original script, which he guessed would have been rated PG-13.

Good choice.

[Vrede too]

Dean Martin: King of Cool
2021, Documentary/Biography, 1h 30m

Tomatometer 100%
Audience Score 88%

This in-depth biography explores Dean Martin's varied career, including his complicated relationships with Jerry Lewis, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and others.

Very well made.

I was never a huge fan, but his variety show was a weekly household staple through my childhood.

[Vrede too]

Oldie, goodie:

The Hospital is a 1971 American absurdist satirical black comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring George C. Scott as Dr. Herbert Bock. It was written by Paddy Chayefsky, who was awarded the 1972 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Chayefsky also narrates the film and was one of the producers; he had complete control over the casting and content of the film.

In 1995, The Hospital was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Awards and nominations

George C. Scott 1 year after Patton.
Diana Rigg 3 years after The Avengers.
Arthur Hiller 1 year after Love Story.
Paddy Chayefsky 5 years before Network.
It doesn't get much better than that.



Keep your eyes open for:
Frances Sternhagen from The Closer
Uncredited E.R. Nurse Stockard Channing

[Whack9]

Ever heard of A24 studios? I've been watching a lot of movies released by them, so far many are really good. Couple that I've watched this week:

Saint Maud
Blue Ruin

[Vrede too]

Ever heard of A24 studios? I've been watching a lot of movies released by them, so far many are really good. Couple that I've watched this week:

Saint Maud
Blue Ruin

Rotten Tomatoes likes them:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/saint_maud
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blue_ruin

I don't really pay attention to studios, but I see that A24:

... In 2022, A24 distributed the film Everything Everywhere All at Once, which won Academy Award for Best Picture and six other awards.

It also produces the HBO hit series Euphoria.

Not bad.

[Whack9]

This was a really good movie. The black coats daughter:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bla ... s_Daughter

Highly recommend.

[Vrede too]

Who else is planning on watching this movie?

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt4009460/

Darn it, my policy is to never watch anything that's rated lower than 1.4/10. Let us know how it is.

0% Tomatometer, 30% Audience Score
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kirk_c ... _christmas

How was it?

Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie.

My house, not necessarily my picks, but I do like
Elf,
It's a Wonderful Life,
Bad Santa,
A Christmas Story and
Die Hard.

More from the family and some of my occasionals

Miracle on 34th St (1947)
Scrooged
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Carol (1951)

It's an xmas miracle! Die Hard on xmas day!
Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.

[billy.pilgrim]

Who else is planning on watching this movie?

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt4009460/

Darn it, my policy is to never watch anything that's rated lower than 1.4/10. Let us know how it is.

0% Tomatometer, 30% Audience Score
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kirk_c ... _christmas

How was it?

Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie.

My house, not necessarily my picks, but I do like
Elf,
It's a Wonderful Life,
Bad Santa,
A Christmas Story and
Die Hard.

More from the family and some of my occasionals

Miracle on 34th St (1947)
Scrooged
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Carol (1951)

It's an xmas miracle! Die Hard on xmas day!
Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.

“Oh, by the way, don’t eat the yellow snow.”
Leon the Snowman

[O Really]

British Film Institute: "James Bond films given trigger warnings as they 'will cause offence today'"

...Both Bond movies – You Only Live Twice and Goldfinger – and the other films airing have been slapped with blanket disclaimers on the BFI website, warning they may ‘contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then).

‘The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.’

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/ja ... b63a&ei=66

Yeah, pretty much the entire character of James Bond could cause offence to a lot of people today, not to mention naming a female character "Pussy Galore." But is it really necessary to tell film goers that a film produced in 1964ish will have different cultural, behavioural, and language standards than are prevalent today?

But it's pretty common to alter the past retroactively, in literature, cinema and frequently real life. (No, Sonny Jurgenson did not join the "Washington Commanders" in 1964 as stated in part of his Wiki article.
"Dates joined: 1964 (Washington Commanders), 1957 (Philadelphia Eagles), 1954 (Duke Blue Devils football)"

So I wondered, what would an author write if s/he was writing a historical novel set in 1850 in South Carolina. Would s/he have to avoid all positive references to slavery, all use of the term "nigger", let everyone use the same restroom, have women voting, yada? Would they have to refer to the slave market in Charleston as a "relocation service"? Can you write a believable novel without using a reasonably accurate setting for the time? And if they wrote it with context and language of the time, would anybody publish it? Or sell it?

“The past was alterable. The past never had been altered. Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia.”
― George Orwell, 1984

[Vrede too]

British Film Institute: "James Bond films given trigger warnings as they 'will cause offence today'"

...Both Bond movies – You Only Live Twice and Goldfinger – and the other films airing have been slapped with blanket disclaimers on the BFI website, warning they may ‘contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then).

‘The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.’

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/ja ... r-AA1mtARG

Yeah, pretty much the entire character of James Bond could cause offence to a lot of people today, not to mention naming a female character "Pussy Galore." But is it really necessary to tell film goers that a film produced in 1964ish will have different cultural, behavioural, and language standards than are prevalent today?

Sounds to me like it may just be CYA for BFI. It's not like they'll hand out pamphlets at ticket booths or mandate warnings when Bond is aired.

But it's pretty common to alter the past retroactively, in literature, cinema and frequently real life. (No, Sonny Jurgenson did not join the "Washington Commanders" in 1964 as stated in part of his Wiki article.
"Dates joined: 1964 (Washington Commanders), 1957 (Philadelphia Eagles), 1954 (Duke Blue Devils football)"

Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III (born August 23, 1934) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins.

"Adolph" in 1934? That's unfortunate. The article doesn't discuss his parents and I haven't bothered searching elsewhere.

The only mention of the Commanders is "Washington Commanders Ring of Fame". Fair enough, why have several Rings of Fame? There's even a section titled Washington Redskins (1964–1974). Did you read a satire somewhere?

So I wondered, what would an author write if s/he was writing a historical novel set in 1850 in South Carolina. Would s/he have to avoid all positive references to slavery, all use of the term "nigger", let everyone use the same restroom, have women voting, yada? Would they have to refer to the slave market in Charleston as a "relocation service"? Can you write a believable novel without using a reasonably accurate setting for the time? And if they wrote it with context and language of the time, would anybody publish it? Or sell it?

“The past was alterable. The past never had been altered. Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia.”
― George Orwell, 1984

BFI didn't call for censorship. It just defined what its listing means.

[O Really]

Yeah, BFI wasn't censoring, I just found the article a springboard into consideration of revisionist history. And the reference to Jurgenson joining the "Commanders" in 1964 was only one of other correct references to "Redskins." But one of those is too many when it's that ridiculous. I've seen references to somebody like Dale Earnhardt or somebody as "Sprint champion" or a few years ago "Nextel champion." Nope. He was "Winston Cup" champion. Just because they've since changed the name doesn't change what happened at the time.

James Bond was a misogynistic womanizer who would also have been somewhat racist and jingoistic. That counted as hero in 1964 and probably among many in 2024. I still don't think we need a warning. But what can you expect when "Private Ryan" carries a warning of "violence, crude language, and smoking."

[Vrede too]

... And the reference to Jurgenson joining the "Commanders" in 1964 was only one of other correct references to "Redskins."...

But it's just not there in Sonny's Wiki article:

... Following an injury-plagued 1963 season, Jurgensen was traded to the Washington Redskins on April 1, 1964, in exchange for quarterback Norm Snead and cornerback Claude Crabb.

Washington Redskins (1964–1974)

Jurgensen took over play-calling for the Redskins during the 1964 season....

Are you being revisionist about it?

[O Really]

Search Google for "Sonny Jurgenson". Before you get to the actual Wiki article, you get a variety of links and pics including a section entitled "About" that claims Wiki as source and reads as follows:

About
Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for 18 seasons, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. Wikipedia
Born: 1934 (age 89 years), Wilmington, NC
Spouse: Margo Hurt (m. 1967)
Hall of fame induction: 1983
Dates joined: 1964 (Washington Commanders), 1957 (Philadelphia Eagles), 1954 (Duke Blue Devils football)
Completion percentage: 57.1%
Pass attempts: 4,262
Pass completions: 2,433

[Vrede too]

Search Google for "Sonny Jurgenson". Before you get to the actual Wiki article, you get a variety of links and pics including a section entitled "About" that claims Wiki as source and reads as follows:

About
Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for 18 seasons, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. Wikipedia
Born: 1934 (age 89 years), Wilmington, NC
Spouse: Margo Hurt (m. 1967)
Hall of fame induction: 1983
Dates joined: 1964 (Washington Commanders), 1957 (Philadelphia Eagles), 1954 (Duke Blue Devils football)
Completion percentage: 57.1%
Pass attempts: 4,262
Pass completions: 2,433

Ah, I see that. We'll have to blame whoever wrote the unsigned summary for Google. In reality, the Wiki article doesn't contain the phrase "Dates joined" and reads:

Career history
Philadelphia Eagles (1957–1963)
Washington Redskins (1964–1974)