Thursday
Sep032015
Open Thread
Thursday, September 3, 2015 at 4:59PM 
What's on your cinematic mind?
Do tell as we try to catch up behind the scenes. Somehow we ended up a couple of days behind, despite frantic movie blogging.
What's the last movie you watched? What movie keeps popping into your head today? Etcetera.
Reader Comments (35)
Last movie I watched: "Beginners." First time I saw it, I thought it was only okay. Since 2011, I've watched it about 20 times (talk about aging well).
Movie that keeps popping into my head: "Carol." All my favorite cinephiles online that have seen it have raved about it, so the excitement just keep building up.
Movie I'm watching next: "Mr. Holmes." I've heard good things about it.
Far From the Madding Crowd (2015): Miss (not Katniss) Everdene has to choose between Schoenaerts, Sheen and Sturridge. Poor thing. But seriously, This film was right up my alley and I enjoyed it.
Inside Out: not sure what all the fuss was about, but then again I saw it on an airplane in 2D...
I watched Clouds of Sils Maria and was once again impressed with Juliette Binoche. Great and interesting actress. Otherwise, I am trying to wrap my head around CatecBlanchett playing Lucille Ball for Aaron Sorkin. It seems wrong for her to keep playing past stars but maybe that's her niche.
Cate Blanchette as Lucille Ball? This news saddens me, it just seems to be strange and wrong somehow.
Otherwise I went and saw "Amy" and was left in pieces at the end, what a great film.
I saw Love & Mercy. It's ambitious in its structure, but I felt that it misses the mark all too often. I thought the main character was actually underwritten. Elizabeth Banks is MVP though, and absolutely luminous. I would love to see her in more serious, or just better comedic roles. She always seems wasted in horrible movies (Walk of Shame), franchises (Spider-man/ The Hunger Games), or supporting roles in minor comedies. Give her a worthy leading role. Ugh, I love her.
Last movie I watched was The Breaking Point with John Garfield and Patricia Neal. A much more faithful version of Hemingway's To Have and Have Not. Hemingway himself called it the best version of any of his work that had been adapted to the screen.
I've been playing along with the Thursday Movie Picks meme over on the Wandering Through the Shelves site and today's topic is teachers, I chose Kindergarten Cop, Teachers, The Miracle Worker and the Kate Hepburn version of The Corn is Green but different films about teachers keep popping into my head and I keep second guessing myself.
On my cinematic mind is TIFF! More specifically, which movies to pick. So many films, so little time. Also trying to strike a good balance between movies that would be great to see before others and ones that there's a pretty good chance that I'll never get the opportunity to see again.
Do you have a list of top picks, out of pure curiosity?
Rob i have scheduled the following thus far...
MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART
45 YEARS
LOVE
SON OF SAUL
THE HEREAFTER
YOUTH
PHANTOM BOY
GIRLS LOST
INTO THE FOREST
MA MA
IN THE ROOM
BORN TO DANCE
DEMOLITION
WOMEN HE'S UNDRESSED
CLOSET MONSTER
THE PROGRAM
PARADISE SUITE
THE CLAN
ANOMALISA
WHISPERING STAR
EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT
AS I OPEN MY EYES
Trying to get tickets/find room for
DANISH GIRL
I SAW THE LIGHT
SPOTLIGHT
ROOM
THE WITCH
THE WAVE
FAMILY FANG
VICTORIA
DISORDER
OUR BRAND IS CRISIS
but generally if something is opening in september or october it's my lowest priority
and am upset that i can't make room for
DEMON
HIGH-RISE
LOLO
THE BANG GANG
and a few others just because the times are inconvenient.
but then i always schedule like 5 a day and end up seeing 3 a day once all the writing/parties/exhaustion/networking happening. My goal is to see 30 this year which is 3 a day but we'll see.
Kanye West should score the instrumental soundtrack for the Blade Runner sequel.
I recently watched "Eastern Boys", after reading Nick Davis's piece on the best of 2015 so far. Like all great film's,it poses so many complex questions. A side of Paris we rarely see in cinema.
Last watched - Two Days, One Night. It's my favorite Dardennes film, by far, and if I'd seen it prior to the Oscars I might've been less happy about how Best Actress turned out. It's also one of the most effective political films I've ever seen.
On my mind today - excitement over finally getting to see Mistress America tomorrow, and how Metropolitan reflects Whit Stillman's love of Jane Austen.
The last movie I watched was The Second Mother. It's richtly writen, nuances and the actros are superb. The tone hangs between Bergman and Almodóvar. Its a must watch. I hope its remembered when The Oscar talk commences.
Just rewatched Queen Margot (1994) and I started wondering if there's somewhere in Hollywood such a star who could play Isabelle Adjani's part nowadays... then I understood no one could play Margot like Adjani - she has the balance between acting talent and striking beauty.
In this way I wondered about seeing Scarlett Johansson doing an epic period piece "La reine Margot" style. She surely has the beauty and the charisma to play the lead and she was great in "Girl With Pearl Earring" and even in the flawed "The Other Boleyn Girl"... Go go Scarlett
I LOVE Girl with a Pear Earring. Was just thinking about it the other day and how I need to rewatch it.
I really think Scarlett would've been nominated for either Girl with a Pearl Earring or Lost in Translation if both hadn't been released in the same year. She was flawless in both of those and received critical accolades for both, but I think she split votes with herself, unfortunately. Shame.
I saw the last Woody Allen which I really liked (not MAJOR Allen but very good).
After seing Parker Posey in it I realize she's the PERFECT Woody Allen actress & I hope (since I read that they are working together again on his next film (yeah!)) she gets to have her
"Annie Hall" movie role & finally, FINALLY become an Oscar Nominated Actress ...
(Perhaps a winner?)
Blanchett playing Lucy.
Mamma Mia! getting a sequel.
New rumors on Barbra playing Gypsy.
Last movie was a rewatch of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. What a perfect confection. Two thoughts out of it: 1. When will Hollywood know what to do with the amazing Shirley Henderson? 2. When, oh when, will Amy Adams play the bubbly airhead again? I don't want her to limit herself, but my, she just does it so well.
I saw an ad for Sicario today and it reignited my excitement for that film...not that it had really ever waned that much. The ad just made me so overjoyed to see a female in that type of a role in what looks like a really good film. For some reason I have a strange love and obsession of females in law enforcement roles (I believe it was started by Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs, which I loved way too much for a small child.
Other than my excitement for that film I have been far too focused on Madonna's upcoming tour to really dive into film. The opening is in 5 days!!! And then she arrives in New York not too long after that!!!
just watched The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - hated it.
But Alicia Vikander dancing to Solomon Burke's Cry To Me was worth the price of admission; talk about a super star in the making-scene.
Nat, Rob - I'm also obsessing over TIFF! I made my ticket selections yesterday, so it's mostly just pure anticipation from here on out. I'm most excited about seeing: Rams, Love, High Rise, Right Now Wrong Then, The Witch, Taxi, Te Prometo Anarquia, Bolshoi Babylon, Victoria, and The Club.
I have one spot in my schedule to fill and am trying to decide between Bang Gang, Desierto, and Francofonia. Any advice on that would be welcome!
Made it, made it, made it! I've finally managed to fulfill my dream and complete one of Oscar's acting categories: I now have seen every single nominee in the category of Best Supporting Actor. And it took me only 23 years to get there.
So, the intermediate results read like this: I've missed 12 nominees in Best Actor, 9 in Best Actress, 0 in Best Supporting Actor - I repeat: 0 in Best Supporting Actor - and 1 in Best Supporting Actress.
Generally speaking, I'm rather fond of the nominees in the male supporting category (although not always of the winners). But what on earth does the quality of the nominated performances even matter now that I can be so very proud of myself?
Great list, Nat! I too try to avoid the ones that are coming out shortly after the festival (or, more broadly, ones that I know I would definitely be able to see in wide release). I made a few exceptions, but anyway, here are the 10 that I've already picked:
- Son of Saul
- Green Room (preceded by The Chickening)
- The Lobster
- Demon
- I Saw the Light
- High-Rise
- The Family Fang
- Louder Than Bombs
- Anomalisa
- The Witch
I'm also hoping to add Jason Reitman's Live Read (because seeing a live read of The Princess Bride isn't something I have any desire to miss), Colonia, and (though this is probably the lowest priority for me) The Final Girls. We'll see what happens! There are a few 3-movie days in there, but nothing too ridiculous (I had a 4-movie day last year, and it was exhausting - at least I have time to eat a meal between my screenings this time)
Roark: Of the three you listed, I've personally heard the most buzz around Bang Gang (which would have worked its way into my schedule if the times were more convenient).
Saw No escape for free, thank God for that! One of the worst movies in a long time. Wilson and Bell deserve better.
Watched "The Fugitive Kind" with Brando, Woodward, and the great Anna Magnani last night. Based on Tennessee Williams' "Orpheus Descending." The source material was uneven, you are practically screaming at the TV for Marlon to make tracks and get out of that evil small town, but there are some beautiful moments and classic Williams commentary on humanity.
I went to Diary of a Teenage Girl last night and loved It. TIFF is on my cinematic mind as well. Have tickets so far for Son of Saul, Lobster, 45 Years, London Road, Freeheld, Youth, He Named Me Malala, Sunset Song, Anomalisa, Music of Strangers, Kill Your Friends, Danish Girl.
Recently watched these:
Velvet Goldmine—D
Short Term 12—B+
Malcolm X—A-
Death Proof—C-
To Sir With Love--B
@Willy - congrats on the achievement! Do you have a top five or ten best winners/nominees?
I recently watched For Colored Girls for the first time. While I could get into the screenplay (all the women are somehow interconnected), I could not get on board with the melodramatic direction, especially with the big set piece in the middle of the film. But almost every actress is somewhere from good to great. Nat, I see why your Film Bitch Awards singled out Elise and Gray but the only one I really hard any issue with was Newton and that was just because of her random accent that no one else in the cast had (especially noteworthy for Goldberg and Thompson as her mother and sister, respectively).
But it makes me even more excited to hopefully see Dear White People soon since people said Thompson stood out in that film as well.
And while Janet was fine, I'm even more excited for her new album coming out. Pre-ordered! Squeeeee!
Thank you. I think I'd name my ten favorite Best Supporting Actor Oscar winners as
Walter Brennan in Come And Get It (and I do like his other two wins as well)
Thomas Mitchell in Stagecoach
Van Heflin in Johnny Eager
James Dunn in A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
Walter Huston in The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (who is bordering on lead)
George Sanders in All About Eve (probably my favorite win in this category)
Melvyn Douglas in Hud
Gig Young in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Joel Grey in Cabaret
Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter
Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People would certainly replace one of the guys from this list, but you can hardly be more of a lead actor than he is in his film.
As for the nominees ... I don't know. But I've always felt unconditional love for Sal Mineo in Rebel Without A Cause and Jack Wild in Oliver!.
brookesboy, that D is blasphemy!
Paul, LOL. Honestly, I couldn't finish it. I was bored to tears. Which is bizarre because I adore Toni Collette, Todd Haynes, Britain in the 70s, Ewan McGregor naked. I just couldn't take it. LOL. It didn't come together for me.
brookesboy, what were you on?
Okay, why weren't you on something?
But seriously, not even the costumes and art direction worked for you?
And what do you think of Citizen Kane?
Questions upon questions...
I thought Citizen Kane was pretty good. Lol
I watched part of Never Sleep Again, the documentary about the "Nightmare on Elm Street". I watched it at night and then couldn't sleep (of course!). The parts about how nobody except the screenwriter and the production designer (and eventually the lead actor, how was gay) were the ones who realized how gay the subtext of it was is HILARIOUS. At one point the assistant director says, "We were either really naive or all latently gay".
Jakey, it was gay to me in the sense that I had such a crush on Nick Corri and sobbed when he died. He should have had a bigger career.