Yes, God, Yes. I paid $6.99 to watch this film in August, but you have waited and now you can see it as part of your Netflix monthly fee. Score for you, because this film set in early internet times is a hoot.
Spotlight. You get two things when you watch this movie about investigative reporters. You can check off a best picture winner and also see a fabulous movie about an uncomfortable topic.
Snowpiercer. Are you Bong Joon Ho curious, especially after Parasite won best picture? This might be your entry point. Class issues, end of the world issues, and Tilda Swinton stealing the show.
20th Century Women. I’m gonna keep shoving this generational coming-of-age film with so many good moments at you until you watch it.
Moneyball. Since we didn’t get sports in 2020 like we usually do, maybe you want a hit of baseball? But with Aaron Sorkin writing and Bennett Miller directing?
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Written by Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison
The review:
Rebecca has the usual problems one runs into with a film older than my social-security-collecting parents,* but that shouldn’t keep you from watching it. It’s a whole atmosphere, from the first line** to the last, iconic image, and so much of what’s fun about the atmosphere is the head housekeeper stink-eye provided by Judith Anderson. This is a great intro to Hitchcock, both for the universality of feeling being in over one’s head and for the Hitchcock camera angles.
The verdict: Recommended
Cost: Free via DVD copy from the Multnomah County Library. That copy kept freezing, so I also watched part of it via TV Time, the Roku channel that shows old movies and has commercials. Then the internet dropped out, so I went back to the DVD. It was a journey. Where watched: at home
*Older man treating the woman he loves like a child, the woman in question wandering through her life, the couple “falling in love” in the time it takes a rich lady to recover from pneumonia, the proposal that was a put down, etc. The infantilization of women in classic films is sometimes hard to take. **”Last night, I dremt I went to Manderley again” gave me chills and when paired with the visual and the distant tone in Joan Fontaine’s voice throughout the monologue, propels this first line right to the same territory as: “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”*** ***Goodfellas. AFI has neither of these quotes on its list of top 100 movie quotes, but what do they know?
Questions:
What would your reaction have been, coming home to Manderly?
It’s weird that there aren’t any titles used, eh? Like is he a lord, or a commoner from a very rich family?
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
The first movie that Sir Alfred Hitchcock made in Hollywood, and the only one that won a Best Picture Oscar. Although it won Best Picture, the Best Director Award that year went to John Ford for The Grapes of Wrath (1940).
For those interested, back in the 90s, I watched an interesting documentary called Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood. I really liked the comparison between the two men and it’s worth searching out. It seems to be an episode of American Masters.
Full opening quote: (Though more fun to watch. I’ve got it queued up here.)
Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter for the way was barred to me.
Then, like all dreamers, I was possessed of a sudden, the supernatural powers and passed like a spirit through the barrier before me. The drive wound away in front of me, twisting and turning as it had always done. But as I advanced, I was aware that a change had come upon it. Nature had come into her own again, and little by little had encroached upon the drive with long tenacious fingers, on and on while the poor thread that had once been our drive.
And finally, there was Manderley. Manderley, secretive and silent. Time could not mar the perfect symmetry of those walls. Moonlight can play odd tricks upon the fancy, and suddenly it seemed to me that light came from the windows.
And then a cloud came upon the moon and hovered an instant like a dark hand before a face. The illusion went with it. I looked upon a desolate shell, with no whisper of a past about its staring walls. We can never go back to Manderley again. That much is certain. But sometimes, in my dreams, I do go back to the strange days of my life which began for me in the south of France…
It’s baby boomer nostalgia written and directed by our favorite walking and talking baby boomer: Aaron Sorkin.* But this is baby boomer nostalgia that all generations should catch up with because holy cow, the parallels with today. This film has a tight script,** great performances,*** and manages to balance ten-plus main characters in ways that let them have their moments.****
The verdict: Recommended
Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99) Where watched: at home
Consider also watching:
Inherit the Wind
Primal Fear
12 Angry Men
Anatomy of a Murder (interesting just to compare then and now)
*You know, walking and talking like in The West Wing. I had hoped that Sorkin was born after 1965 so I could have said: …baby boomer nostalgia written by everyone’s favorite Gen Xer that includes political parallels that will seem familiar to the millennials and Gen Z-ers. But alas. Sorkin was born in 1961 and he’s too old to be a Gen Xer, so no dice with that sentence. **The intro of the many players is handled in a robust and amusing fashion. ***Tom Hayden and Abbie Hoffman are the main players, and to my great surprise Hoffman was played by Sacha Baron Cohen. I had no idea! ****I liked seeing the different approach to protesting that the various groups brought. It’s common to hear about “the protesters” during the 60s, but they didn’t act as one body.
Questions:
What part of this film reminded you of today?
Which of the seven (eight) did you identify with most?
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
Sacha Baron Cohen admitted he was terrified of having to do an American accent for the film. He had used a few different variations of the accent before for comedic reasons, but never for a dramatic role. He knew Abbie Hoffman had a unique voice, having a Massachusetts accent but also having gone to school in California, and was worried he would “sound wrong.” Aaron Sorkin had to reassure him that the role was “not an impersonation, but an interpretation,” which Baron Cohen claimed did not help much.
Lost in Paris. If our senses of humor are aligned, you will adore this very odd film that is also a great example of the burlesque comedy tradition. Follow one Canadian woman as she tries to find where her missing grandmother in the city of light. (Note burlesque comedy tradition in France is very different than burlesque in the US)
The Messenger. It’s that quiet Ben Foster along with Woody Harrelson in a film about the men who deliver the bad news to families of fallen soldiers. I just thought of a scene from this film last week, and it has been four years since I’ve seen it. The film sticks with you, is what I’m saying.
Support the Girls. Aw, I need to do a list of Regina Hall films she’s great in. Here, she plays a manager of a sports bar on a day when nothing goes right.
Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone. If you are looking for a documentary short, this was my top of the 2020 Oscar-nominated slate. The Academy and I were in agreement, as this was the winner. It’s 39 minutes of your time and you will have a lot of feelings. I ended up feeling hopeful.
Directed by John Cameron Mitchell Written by Philippa Goslett and John Cameron Mitchell
The review:
Having gone into this film without knowing anything about it, I was surprised when a cute film about three kids into punk music took a very galactic turn.* While I found a lot of the alien stuff to be focused on worries of straight fourteen-year-old boys, I thought all the alien set decoration was very fun, especially when compared to the punks.** I don’t think this movie holds together very well, but it’s interesting to look at, I enjoyed both Fanning and Sharp, and there was a recurring joke about the alien music I found amusing.***
The verdict: Good?
(There were just enough elements to push this from Skip to Good, but it’s barely over the line. Proceed with caution.)
Cost: free via Hoopla, one of Multnomah County Library’s streaming services. Where watched: at home
Consider also watching:
Teen Spirit (a serviceable movie about music set in Britain and starring Ellen Fanning.)
Side note: this film is currently ranked #15 on the IMDB List “Most Popular Alien Disguised As Human Movies and TV Shows”
And, I have no other suggestions.
Further sentences:
*I found my way to this film because I enjoyed Alex Sharp in The Hustle and this was an easily accessible film he starred in, plus I like Elle Fanning. The summary of the film begins, “An alien touring the galaxy breaks away from her group and meets…” Had I read that before watching, I would have been prepared for the strange alien turn. Because I was not, I was probably more amused at this film than I would have been. **Or, for that matter, Enn’s home. ***Ethan Lawrence describing the aliens’ music at the record shop and to a DJ cracked me up.
Questions:
What’s your favorite human/alien film?
You’ve just watched this film. Do you think you wasted your time?
Have you read Neil Gaiman’s original short story on which this was based? How do the two compare?
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
American DJ James Murphy developed a new genre for the soundtrack, described as “extraterrestrial dance music”.
Directed by Elaine Constantine Written by Elaine Constantine
The review:
Northern Soul is a fine niche* coming-of-age movie from the usual male point of view. I loved the setting and all of the grimy details, especially the intersection of drug use and the dance scene.** While it follows the usual coming of age/drug use trajectories, the enthusiasm for Northern Soul music makes this a fun watch.
The verdict: Good
Cost: free via Hoopla, one of Multnomah County Library’s streaming services. Where watched: at home
*The niche in question is Northern Soul music which Wikipedia tells me is “a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the English Midlands in the late 1960’s from the British mod scene, based on a particular style of black American soul music…with a heavy beat and fast tempo.” You can read more here, including the information about how the lesser or unknown tracks were the most popular Northern Soul music. A plot point hinges around this. **At times, it seemed that the big pops of color were the uppers the characters were taking.
Questions:
What music was your coming of age music?
Would you have been into Northern Soul in the early 1970s? (Or were you?)
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
Was originally only meant to be playing in five screens across the UK but due to high demand it got a blanket release of over 160 screens
(I’m not sure how regional Redbox is. Your mileage may vary.)
Wonder Woman. Why not prep for the eventual release of WW84, by catching up with (or re-watching) this film.
Us. If you, like me can’t really do horror, try this not-very-grisly but very suspenseful Jordan Peele flick.
The Wolf of Wall Street. Or perhaps you want to ensconce yourself in the horror that is rampant capitalism? Then try this Scorsese classic that has my very favorite Quaaludes scene ever.
Southside With You. Maybe you want some Obama nostalgia? Check out this imagining of Barak and Michelle’s first date.
Emma. Who am I kidding? We all need a comfort watch, so just go rent this again. Also Little Women.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Written by Evan Hunter
The review:
I’m gonna say right off that this movie was unsatisfying because it doesn’t have an end, which is not to say that it wasn’t very satisfying all the way up until the point were there wasn’t an end.* This satisfaction comes despite the fact that every single person in the film makes dumb choices.** While the Rod Taylor/Tippi Hedren relationship was something I’m chalking up to stress induced relationship building,*** it was even more fun to see various other townspeople’s reactions to the onslaught.****
The verdict: Good
Cost: Free due to donated ticket. It would have been $35 for the two of us. Where watched: at Zidell Yards as part of Cinema Unbound’s pop-up drive-in series.
*While all the mayhem was happening, I was puzzling through why this thing might occur. That I never found out bugged me. Lazy writing!!! **I’m going to chalk this up to the fact that no one in the film had seen the many horror film analysis videos and movies that have proliferated since the mid-90s. So of course they would go outside (where the birds are) when they could stay where the birds weren’t currently, which was inside. (Most of the time. Those birds were pretty inventive about getting into buildings.) ***I mean really, why are they in love already? ****The scene at the restaurant was great!
Questions:
If birds were attacking your town, what would be your plan of action?
What do you think made those birds so vengeful?
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
The schoolhouse in Bodega, California has been known to be haunted. According to Tippi Hedren, the entire cast was spooked to be there. She also mentioned how she had the feeling while there that “the building was immensely populated, but there was nobody there.” When Sir Alfred Hitchcock was told about the schoolhouse being haunted, according to Hedren, he was even more encouraged to film there.
While this movie starts as the classic mom-sets-up-daughter-with-eligible-men story it introduces two wrinkles, one with the daughter and one with the mother. Both Michelle Krusiec (as Will, the daughter) and Joan Chen (as Hwei-Lan Gao, the mother) are fun to watch as they navigate their changing relationships.* Overall, an enjoyable film with a few fun surprises.**
The verdict: Good
Cost: $3.99 via Google Play, but free because I had a credit. Where watched: at home
*I sometimes check to see if actors in indie films from 10+ years ago are still acting, and all of the cast members I checked up on are still working regularly. **I also enjoyed seeing one aspect of New York City’s Chinese community circa 2005.
Questions:
What was the most surprising moment in the film for you?
Did you think that the family’s expectations were reasonable?
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
The picture of Vivian as a child in Dr. Shing’s office is actually a photograph of Joan Chen’s daughter.
