Australian tale of loss, grief and moving on. When Simone’s father dies unexpectedly, she hears him talking to her through a very large tree outside her home. This is a quiet, slow film in all the best ways.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/intl/misc/2010/tree_ver2.html
Manages to be both quiet and loud, slow and fast. The triple timeline narrative is brilliant; it kept my mind stitching things together as the stories unfolded. If I’m going to like a war movie, it’s going to be a movie like this one, capturing the stifling boredom, random chance, brutal cruelty and human goodness.
Cost: $15.00
Where watched: Hollywood Theater in 70 millimeter (gorgeous!) with Matt.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2017/dunkirk.html
As sequels go, this is a good one. Reunites the previous cast, and has more singing/dancing segments. The Bradys are at their earnest best as they travel to Hawaii. A delightful concoction.
Cost: free from libaray
Where watched: at home
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1996/very_brady_sequel.html
This awkward romance is perfect for the movie screen, providing the laughs, wincing and love that a good romantic comedy requires. Everyone did their thing and was good at doing their thing. There’s something so satisfying about a well-made movie.
Cost: $9.00
Where watched: Regal City Center Stadium 12, with S. North. (Who did not share my enthusiasm. No emotional connection.)
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2017/big_sick.html
There was so much to like about this movie, especially the way it captured a long-standing couple’s frustrations underscored by waning feelings of love. I’m a fan of how-the-band-got-started films and this was that, but also stirred in a rare helping of established couple falling back in love. Written and directed by a woman, it includes plot points I don’t usually see in films.
Cost: $5.00 (plus I opted for a sandwich. The Living Room Theater makes great sandwiches)
Where watched: Living Room Theater
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2017/band_aid.html
First watched at a midnight movie in 1995 while visiting my friend on the Albertson College of Idaho Campus, I did a re-watch solely because of the positive review and discussion on the Next Picture Show #79. What I found was not only a fabulous send-up of the titular TV show, but also an amazing time capsule of the 90s.* Everything about this gentle satire is pitch perfect.
Cost: free from libary
Where watched: at home with Matt
*Like a frog in the slowly warming pot of water, I had no idea in 1995 just how iconic everything not-Brady would look 22 years later.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1995/brady_bunch_movie.html
(5 total movies watched)
The acting! The outfits!
Female Superhero for the win!
Getting better every season.
A re-watch (last seen: sometime in the early 90s) and a disappointing one. It didn’t hold together at all, plot-wise and Ione Skye was grating as the pretty, bratty girl who didn’t want to live in the small town. Fairuza Balk’s performance was more nuanced, but it was not enough to save this movie.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1992/gas_food_lodging.html
(I chose this poster because the DVD cover has Skye and Balk in hair and makeup that was not present during the movie.)
As the cover of the DVD indicates, the girls are starting to get with it. There were some great moments this season*, and it’s fun to see the various hot messes start to figure things out. As always, these are people I would never want to hang out with in real life, but I enjoy watching their stories.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home
*Here’s a list: Marnie & Charlie reunited (Panic in Central Park); Adam and Jessa’s developing relationship; the really awesome interactive play where Hannah figures out the Adam & Jessa thing; anything with Shoshannah in Japan. Hannah’s dramatic, fleeing breakup with Fran; Hannah & Ray in the coffee truck; Hannah’s hitchiking back into the city, especially if you watch the full cut on the DVD (Homeward Bound); Hannah running into her frenemy (Love Stories). Adam & Jessa’s breathtaking fight (I love you baby).
poster from: http://insidehboshop.hbo.com/2017/01/04/girls-season-5-now-on-dvd-and-blu-ray/
Overall, a movie so bland it couldn’t muster any feelings in me, not of hatred, or love, or of pleasure, or torture. The screenplay seemed to be something created by someone learning how to write screenplays wherein they imitate fun things they liked in other movies. So we have a road trip, a burlesque dancer, sidecar motorcycle pursuit by an oddly matched pair (boy-who-is-friend/father), some attempts at humor and heartstrings, all packaged into an ensemble piece guaranteed to entice established actors due to a short shooting schedule.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home. I think the toenails got painted, so all was not lost
poster from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2927212/ (this movie does not exist on my go-to poster site: IMP Awards. Maybe it was a straight-to-DVD thing?)
