Category: Three Sentence Movie Reviews

I’d been wanting to see this ever since the Next Picture Show paired it with This is Spinal Tap for their podcast. Having finally seen it, I can report that this movie is hilarious enough that I laughed aloud while watching it by myself.  The cameos are reason enough to watch this movie,* although the songs are a close second.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.**

*And I say this as a person who is fairly unaware of the modern pop music scene, and had only vaguly heard of many of the people in the cameos.  If I found them funny, someone with more knowledge will appreciate them even more.

**I floated this as a possible in-theater movie experience to Matt and he rejected it, saying it sounded dumb.  But when I put the movie on while he was in the room, he was quickly sucked in, laughing even harder than me, and only reluctantly left for an appointment. The next day he picked up where he stopped and watched the whole thing in one sitting–which is a rare thing.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2017/popstar.html

In my opinion, Ansel Elgort ruined The Fault in Our Stars and I’ve been annoyed by his presence ever since.  Until this movie, in which he has redeemed himself with his portrayal of Baby. In fact, nearly everything was amazing about this movie, most specifically the combination of music and film, which Wright does in a way that elevates this particular movie art.*

Cost: $4.00
Where watched: Laurelhurst, with Matt.

*This is a movie of pure delight and pure terror.** Jamie Fox was particularly captivating.
**This is also the last time I watched Keven Spacey and thought of him as nothing more than a good actor, rather than a predatory jerk.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2017/baby_driver.html

What happens when women make a movie about the drug trade? There’s a lot less on the action/adventure front and a lot more of the personal relationships. This was clearly a labor of love for all involved* and I really enjoyed this story, which probably could be told a thousand times over in different ways.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home

*Interestingly, the 70s classic rock song “Free Ride” by the Edgar Winter Group is not featured anywhere in this movie.  I’m assuming it’s because the rights were too expensive.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2017/free_ride.html

A gripping tale of Percy Fawcett, explorer of the Amazon.  In this tale, Mr. Fawcett is much more enlightened than his contemporaries, and respects the “primitive” societies and landscape he is exploring.* Balances nicely the adventure and the family scenes on the home front.**

Cost: $1.50 from Redbox
Where watched: at home with Matt

*I’m a bit suspicious of how much of this attitude is historically accurate to the real Percy Fawcett, and how much has to do with contemporary movie makers still wanting to make an adventure movie set in a time period where the motivations for exploration were mostly icky.

**Fun realization.  Watching the DVD extras and discovering that in some countries this movie is called the Lost City of Zed. 😉

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2017/lost_city_of_z.html

I liked this movie, both for Jack Kilmer’s performance* and for the gauzy way the story unfolds. Based on a series of stories written by James Franco, the movie is unflinching in depicting everyday rape culture, and I wonder how much Gia Coppola’s direction has to do with this.**  It’s one of those movies where I think maybe the kids of Palo Alto need a little less free time, a little less money, and perhaps something to believe in; yet also, I was mesmerized by the film itself.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home

*”Who is that?” I wondered aloud during his first scene.  His performance wasn’t showy, but he had full command of the screen.  It made sense when I figured out he was the son of Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley.  This was his first role.

**DVD extras provide an interview with James Franco, where he discusses how strongly he felt that Gia Coppla should direct this movie, even going so far as to take a role in a film, simply to obtain the rest of the funding necessary to film.  He’s also creepy good as the soccer coach.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2014/palo_alto.html

This movie didn’t work for me, and I think the main reason is because it’s set up as a zany comedy, and then for most of the movie the women are faced with trying to cover up the murder of an innocent male stripper.  Despite this hardship, it manages to be amusing throughout.  We spent a goodly amount of time curiously dissecting what didn’t work.

Cost: $1.50 from Redbox
Where watched: at home with Matt.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2017/rough_night_ver12.html

Having just finished Everything, Everything, we then partook of Nick Robinson’s earlier role.  It was the wonderful movie I remembered and–in the case of the parents–even funnier than I remembered.  Also fun this time around were the number of cameos of people who have become famous in their own right.

Cost: free via Amazon Prime streaming
Where watched: The Grey House with Sara and Shawn

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2013/kings_of_summer_ver4.html
I like this poster, an homage to movie posters of my childhood.  I even like how the three main characters are drawn as more attractive than they are. Except the weird one.  He is drawn a little weirder. His nose is off.