20:20 (Pt 1) Prodigious Bribes, Wonky Spells, Silent Judgment
Monday, October 26, 2020 at 11:00AM Thirteen years ago (gulp) we launched a series called 20:07 which was immediately popular and imitated around the web (back when everyone had blogs, natch). In the series we froze a movie at just that spot, a punny play on time stamps vs the year we were living through. Occassionally we revisited the series with a different timestamp in other years due to our ongoing fetish for freezeframing movies at random. But we haven't done it in forevs. So since half the internet believes that, like, 'no movies came out in 2020' let's revisit 2020 releases that happen to already be streaming and freeze them at 20:20* just because. If you enjoy or if it piques your interest, we'll keep going for a whole 2020 release library ;). The movies were chosen at random. How many of these 11 pictures have you seen? (We're going to have to start bingeing 2020 releases ourselves in order to catch up in time for the Film Bitch Awards. This will be the first year where those awards don't exactly line up with the Oscars, eligibility wise, since we want to stick to calendar year since that's what we've always done.
* timestamp is not exact. DVD counters were exact but streaming tends to be difficult to read exact time stamps due to backwards counting on some sites, the lack of frame by frame ability, time stamps disappearing with pausing, pre-movie ads, and the like depending on the service, so these are "approximations".
Always wondered what Grandma kept in those locked closets. Turns out it was full of medicinal herbs and elixirs and old books about ancient healing.
THE WITCHES (Robert Zemeckis, US)
Warner Bros. Original release date: Oct 22nd. Streaming on HBO Max
I was such a fan of the 1990 version and Anjelica Huston's amazing performance as the Grand High Witch that I haven't yet had the heart to watch this remake despite sturdy Octavia Spencer not to mention Anne Hathaway camping it up. Have any of you watched this yet?
[Dramatic music]
ONWARD (Dan Scanlon, US)
Disney/Pixar. Original Release Date: March 6th. Streaming on Disney+
Look at that beautiful subtle shift of light and expression in less than a second as the spell he's using to temporarily resurrect his dead father starts to go awry halfway up the glowing body. Animation artist are doing incredible "acting" these days, aren't they? (Still and all, hoping this year is finally Cartoon Saloon's shot at an Oscar win in Best Animated Feature instead of an 11th Oscar for Pixar in only the 20th year of that category)
[No dialogue]
OVER THE MOON (Glen Keane & John Kahrs, US)
Netflix. Original release date: Oct 23rd. Streaming on Netflix
Previously reviewed here. I just watched this. Those gowns on the moon goddess were eye popping. Wow.
[no dialogue]
THE ASSISTANT (Kitty Green, US)
IFC Films. Original release date Jan 31st. Streaming on Hulu
Green and her lead actress Julia Garner are so good at conjuring the drudgery of office peon life. That disdainful look a male higher up gives her as she exits his workspace after taking a bite of an uneaten pastry is so upsetting but tossed off. Good movie. Reviewed here.
[Silently judging a male dancer who is too 'enthusiastic' about the dance]
AND THEN WE DANCED (Levan Akin, Sweden/Georgia)
Music Box Films. Original release date: Feb 7th. Streaming on Amazon Prime
This superb drama about traditional Georgian dance and queer masculinity within a rigidly conformist homophobic society will 100% be on my personal "Best Picture" ballot this year, and I urge you all to see it if you haven't yet done so. Technically, should Music Box go to the trouble of doing the paperwork, it will be eligible for Oscars this year since the rules allow you to compete for all Oscar categories the year after your official Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film (provided you weren't nominated when you were submitted for that Oscar, which is what happened to City of God back in 2002/2003) if the year after your submission is when you get your US theatrical release. Previously reviewed here.
We're not going to do what you just did ever on a date. Because if you do that they won't like you. You want them to like you and so that way you can get money from them.
BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM: DELIVERY OF PRODIGIOUS BRIBE TO AMERICAN REGIME FOR MAKE BENEFIT ONCE GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN (Jason Woliner, US)
Amazon. Original Release date: Oct 23rd. Streaming on Amazon Prime
The Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova is something else in this movie, isn't she? So so funny. Stealing scenes from Sacha Baron Cohen can't be an easy task. Here's our review.
If you are impure, is it not right to drive out the root?
THE OTHER LAMB (Malgorzata Szumowska Ireland/Belgium/US)
IFC Films. Original release date: April 3rd. Streaming on Hulu
Szumowska's feature about a spiritual leader (gorgeous Michiel Huisman) and young questioning member of his cult (the gifted young actress Raffey Cassidy) played festivals in 2019. Szumoswka also has a feature in the upcoming Best International Feature Oscar race, the Polish submission Never Gonna Snow Again.
[rapping] ♪ What's the difference between a student and a teacher?
When one is growing up the other's getting weaker.
Is the criteria for you to be a creeper? ♫
PROJECT POWER (Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, US)
Netflix. Original release date: Aug 14th. Streaming on Netflix
People seemed to think this ridiculous sci-fi superpower movie was quite bad with cheesy visual fx (?) but personally I thought it was a harmlessly watchable action flick -- albeit overstuffed while underachieving -- with uneven but sometimes very excellent visual fx... that camouflage villain was especially eye-popping!
[no dialogue]
CAPONE (Josh Trank, Canada/US)
Original release date: May 15th. Streaming on Amazon Prime
The most accidentally boring screengrab possible. BUT. In a way that's a mercy. The Film Experience is officially allergic to movies in which Tom Hardy and his collaborators pretend he's ugly. You? (Hardy should do an erotic thriller to restore balance to the universe)
Dude hang on. Do you realize where we are?
SCOOB! (Tony Cervone, US)
Warner Bros. Original release date: May 15th. Streaming on HBO Max
Without theatrical box office reporting, animated films (which are often huge hits thanks to families) don't seem to be getting half the attention they used to, right?
[GUNSHOT]
EXTRACTION (Sam Hargrave, US)
Netflix. Original release date: Apr 24th. Streaming on Netflix
That guy's not getting back up. How'd you like to be shot at close range by Chris Hemsworth? Netflix claims this is their most watched original ever. Weird that I've never heard anyone talk about it (even here our review got zero comments). So if you've seen it, talk.
2020, Onward, Over the Moon, The Witches, streaming
Reader Comments (9)
Anne Hathaway>>>> the movie, just when you think the hustle was the most hammy hathaway performance, she does this. Loved her, the movie not so much.
Onward was a disappointment as an adventure pic, but at least the dramatic moments worked. It did move me in the end.
Chris Hemsworth can do anything he wants - at close range or any other. But seriously, I liked Extraction - nothing too smart, but action sequences were fantastic.
Soul is 100% winning the Oscar for Pixar this year.
Would've loved to see Pixar lose last year for Toy Story 4 though, and I think they came close.
Maria Bakalova for Oscar!
But also the film should have more nominations (Picture, Actor, Adapted Screenplay and Song). Lol.
And Then We Danced was the first 2020 film I saw, and has remained #1 for the year ever since.
I watched "Extraction" but it's such a disposable movie that you completely forget about it as soon as it's over.
I'm glad to hear "And Then We Danced" is on Amazon Prime so I can rewatch it. The seductive dance to Robyn is perhaps my favorite scene of the year so far.
The Witches is terrible, though Hathaway is the best thing about it and is clearly having fun. But it's super "cute" and a total kids movie in the most patronizing and condescending way and Robert Z's obsession with CGI is nightmarish. It's not scary or exciting at all and almost seems deliberately to be made in contrast to what the original did.
The original is IMO the best Dahl adaptation because it gets the tone of the his sardonic writing so perfectly and takes it's kids audience seriously. And while Huston is having tons of fun she's not slumming. It's a full and detailed piece of acting that covers all it's bases for this type of film and material. Hathaway is fun and that gets her farther than I would have thought but she is very much giving conscious "kids" movie performance. Comparisons might not be fair but Huston is doing a real piece of acting (she won awards for it).
The Wiches is so hollow,the lack of practical make up effects took me right out of it,the cgi is poor to.
Hathaway starts ok but gets gradually worse and can't hold a candle to Anjelica.
Spencer is her usual warm self but I kept picturing Mo'nique in the role
The kids are annoying and have no personality
There is no sub plots to speak of yet the 90 version had a lot going on
Tucci is wasted as the manager
Rock over eggs his voiceover.
Extraction is why the Oscars need a Best Stunts category. Mediocre film, excellent stunt work and fight choreography.