This sets up and knocks down all the standard romantic comedy tropes, but in a way that is fresh and fun, not old and tired. Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell continue charming their way through movies and Taye Diggs and Lucy Lu are delightfully difficult. Overall, this was a perfect 10 of the romantic comedy genre.
Cost: Netflix monthly subscription
Where watched: at home
There are few reasons to watch this film* and I recommend people stay far away from this version of the story. Unlike the other films, which made me care about an alcoholic man on the downslide and the woman who loved him, Streisand and Kristofferson did nothing to make me hope that somehow they would find a way. I think the shift from the acting world to the music world was to the film’s detriment** and my hopes are not very high for the upcoming 2018 version which is also set in the music world.***
Cost: free from the library
Where watched: at home, sighing throughout.
*Insight on 70s-era concert attire; Kris Kristofferson’s ability to spay paint backward; Gary Busey before he fixed his teeth
**Somehow, alcoholism getting in the way of filming a movie is much less egregious than alcoholism getting in the way of a concert performance. Those people paid good money to hear you play your songs, not to sit in the sun for four hours waiting for you to get around to going onstage.
***My hopes are higher for the music of the 2018 version. The 1976 music was Not Very Good.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1976/star_is_born.html
The gamers are going to be annoyed by the fact that the board games played for this movie’s game night are very basic, entry-level games and they are correct.* Setting that aside, this movie ranges between low-level chuckle and hilarious not only in its execution, but also in the number of games it manages to incorporate into its plot. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams have great chemistry as highly competitive gamer couple.
Cost: $1.50 via Redbox
Where watched: at home with Matt
*While the entire movie was unbelievable, but in a fun way, this detail was unbelievable in an annoying way. People who host regular game nights move on quickly from the games you can buy at your standard retail establishments because there are just so many better quality games out there.**
**Disclosure: we regularly host game nights.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2018/game_night_ver3.html
Hoo-boy, this was such a bad film that boyfriend Matt got a blow-by-blow synopsis the next morning as I was working through what made it so terrible.* I think the crux of the problem is that this story was originally written by a fifteen-year-old and published on Wattpad. The actors were enjoyable** but they could not overcome the shortcomings of the plot that was written for them.
Cost: Netflix monthly charge
Where watched: at home
*Just one example: best friends Shelly and Lee need to raise money for the “Dancing Club” (they seem to be the only two members) and so they have a kissing booth at the carnival. But what are they raising money for? Once the kissing booth is over, we never see them in any sort of Dancing Club-related activities.
**Joel Courtney was the lead in Super 8 (when he was an actual teenager) and Joey King was enjoyable as Channing Tatum’s daughter in White House Down. Jacob Elordi made a good older brother and was easy on the eyes, plus there was Molly Ringwald as the boys’ mom. (Though why she’s doing laundry when they live in a multi-million dollar house is beyond me.) (Also, the house was amazing.)
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/tv/kissing_booth.html
The magicians are back* and up to their usual tricks, but the FBI is on their tail, as is Walter Mabry.** There are complicating factors, and tricks and double crosses and it all holds together well if you don’t think too deeply about it. With this many good actors, the result is going to be a solid film, which this was.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home with Matt after moving three tons of flagstone.
*Though we’ve swapped out Isla Fisher for Lizzy Caplan
**There is an internal squeal of glee when Daniel Radcliffe appears first as a character; I enjoy him as an adult actor.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/now_you_see_me_two_ver15.html
“It was so pretty and so sad!” said my movie-going companion. And it was, and also beautifully filmed and acted.This is another one of those “engrossing, and not much happens” films I recommend seeing in a theater, so as not be distracted by laundry and other sundry items.
Cost: $9.00
Where watched: Living Room Theater with S. North.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2018/rider.html
Hey look, it’s a white guy with talent who squanders it due to drug addiction and we’re meant to be impressed by all he does to recover from the situation in which he has situated himself. Maybe, if we are lucky, we get to learn more about the interesting women who helped him along in his journey, sacrificing her career and etc.* Ethan Hawke’s acting was good, as was Carmen Ejogo as Jane/Elaine,** but I’m over this particular kind of film.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home
*No, we don’t? Not even in a sentence or two of wrap-up at the end? Harrumph!
**Her character doesn’t even have a last name!
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/born_to_be_blue.html
This poster is heaped with praise, but I found that Jesse Plemons’s character was not very accessible emotionally and that lack of connection sank the film. It gets marks for illustrating how parents’ homophobia can affect their gay children. But otherwise, I could have skipped it.
Cost: Netflix monthly charge
Where watched: at home
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/other_people.html
Hannah Baker’s tapes have been disseminated beyond the original 13 people, and we rejoin our tattooed teenagers as the Baker’s lawsuit against the school is going to trial. However, Polaroids start showing up indicating that Hannah wasn’t the only one and Dylan Minnette, as Clay Jensen takes the lead in getting to the bottom of things. Good acting by all made for a discussable season that spent a lot of time focusing on the aftermath of rape, among other things.*
Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($7.99)
Where watched: at home
*I think the series went too far with one character’s plot arc on that front, but we shall see if they redeem themselves in Season 3. And I did appreciate the emphasis that recovery is a long process, not something that is done with after the television season is over.
Some extra sentences: I loved this season from a story-telling standpoint. In the first season Hannah was in full control of the story. In this season other people told their story of Hannah which introduced shades of grey to everything we learned about Hannah in the first season. It made her a more sympathetic character, and more complex, too.
poster from: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/13_reasons_why/s02/
A rather lengthy film* about how coming back from war is tough. Harold Russell is quite good (especially for a non-actor) as Homer Parrish, the veteran who has returned from war without his hands. Given the focus on the amazing accomplishments of the “Greatest Generation” this is a nice reminder of some of their tough times.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.
*Three hours, and I felt each and every one of the 180 minutes.
Of note. This was my fourth time requesting this from the library. Normally, I check movies out and renew them as they come due; eventually I watch them. Not this one. Three times the due date came up, and three times I was unable to renew due to holds. The library has six copies. Who is so interested in this movie (that is not very good)? My theory? There were six other people who also were obligated to watch this for some reason and had no deadline. The seven of us kept checking out, returning, and reserving the same six copies of the movie and we never, ever watched it. I’m glad to have exited that cycle.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1946/best_years_of_our_lives_ver2.html
Though the movie was boring, I find this to be a good scratch off.
This is also a solid one.
Let’s face it, this artist doesn’t excel in the art of depicting faces.
Do you want to scratch your movie poster itch? Get the scratch off poster here.
