Interesting 1995-era perspective about the turn of the millennium. This was gripping and icky and very, very tense. I didn’t notice Juliette Lewis was in it until she appeared on screen, at which time I gave a sigh of annoyance, but Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett were quite good.
Cost: free due to work-sponsored Netflix
Where watched: at home
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1995/strange_days_ver2.html
Whelp, the IFC previews have failed me.* This was not a good film; it was lacking in cohesiveness, motivation, humor and follow-through.** Watch Paul Schneider be acted upon by many different women and watch him muddle through.
Cost: free from libary
Where watched: at home, while painting toenails silver. So at least it wasn’t a complete waste of time.
*I think this was advertised in package of previews that came with Hateship Loveship.
**It is not at all hilarious and sexy as the poster states.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2014/goodbye_to_all_that.html
Many movies about comedians are not funny, but this one is. As with any great Improv group, the ensemble cast is terrific, with special props going to Gillian Jacobs* as Samantha, the woman who just wanted to maintain the status-quo. I enjoyed the depth of character and the complexity of emotion.
Cost: $9.75
Where watched: Cinema 21 with Matt.
*I recently discovered her playing Mimi Rose Howard in the TV show Girls, but apparently she was also really good in Community.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/dont_think_twice.html
(12 movies watched)
Money Monster
Tense, plus I’m finally introduced to Jack O’Connell
Keanu
Funny, cute kitten plus a whole bunch of George Michael
The Nice Guys
Thin on plot, long on chemistry
5 to 7
Friggen perfect.
Ghostbusters
Friggen perfect in a different way.
Hateship Loveship
Nuanced and quiet.
The Weight of Water
A lot going on here, more so than this poster is trying to tell you about.
A nicely done third installment in the reboot, though I did wince, every time Anton Yelchin was in danger of being crushed.* I enjoyed Sofia Boutella as as Jaylah, as well as the Pine/Quinto Kirk/Spock ongoing relationship. That said, the film vacated my brain soon after leaving the theater.
Cost: $0.40 thanks to Matt’s Regal gift cards.
Where watched: Regal City Center Stadium 12 with Matt
*Which seemed to happen regularly.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/star_trek_beyond.html
(the poster people LOVE this poster)
Kathryn Bigelow is known for her adrenaline-packed movies, and so this surprised me with its subtly. Two stories of women and relationships play out over the run-time and both are fascinating to scratch away the layers. Sarah Polley was her usual good self and Catherine McCormak’s performance* was also quite good too.
Cost: free from work-sponsored Netflix
Where watched: at home
*You wouldn’t know it from the poster, but she’s the main character. She’s the one in the lower left corner, kissing Sean Penn with her back to the camera.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2002/weight_of_water.html
I really hate this poster. The movie is about the women, not Sean Penn!
I feel like maybe this could have been a good movie, and also a franchise, but something didn’t translate well to screen. Part of the problem was Ashley Sommers performance, which was either terrible, or she was directed to act in the manner of a 40s-era rapid-fire female lead. Those bodachs (the grabby things in the poster) were nicely creepy crawly and Yelchin did his usual good job, but this movie was just a so-so venture.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2013/odd_thomas_ver7.html
The second movie I’ve watched this year based on an Alice Munro short story. This was quiet in its execution and measured in its emotion and I enjoyed the journey. Kristen Wiig is, once again, very good.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2014/hateship_loveship.html
While this movie was pretty to look at and interesting to contemplate, I never emotionally latched onto it and thus it was just an okay film for me. Also, how exactly did this family support themselves by selling bird houses?* In other news, this movie now contains my new favorite version of Sweet Child O’Mine.
Cost: I think matinees at Regal are more than $10.00 now?
Where watched: Regal Fox Tower w/S. North.
* I get they lived on the cheap, but that school bus was gorgeously remodeled in a not-in-a-cheap way. And all of those kids had running shoes. And climbing gear. Those things cost money.
Poster commentary was of the ilk that the above poster made this movie look like a Wes Anderson flick and I can’t disagree. I think the below poster captures the movie’s sentiment in a much better way. 
posters from:
http://www.impawards.com/2016/captain_fantastic.html
http://www.impawards.com/2016/captain_fantastic_ver3.html
This movie was trying to be something it failed to be, what with the jumbled time line and the scritch-scritch effects. It wasn’t a winner in the “Whoa! Super Artsy, Man!” category, but the story of the ebb and flow of the romance was interesting enough. Both actors were quite solid in their performances.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.
I’ve pledged to call out when I see movies unapologetically using fat people to further their plots. In this movie, Justin Long is waiting in line and a teenage girl keeps talking to him. The guy in line behind Justin Long insults Justin Long for his fat date (the teenage girl), thus trying to set himself up as looking good for Emily Rossum. I see that the script is using his words to depict this guy as an asshole, but what he said was troubling enough that I gave a cry of dismay and then the movie just floated on by that incident. leaving the fat joke hanging out there.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2014/comet.html
