Based on an excellent book by Daniel James Brown, it's the story of the Universtiy of Washington crew team, who went to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and won gold. A scrappy underdog story, with the patina of history. Directed by George Clooney.
Not as good as the book in that it left out the aspects of Lemi Riefenstahl the German Nazi propagandist, the relation between Joe and his family and the depression era aspect that overshadowed the story.
It's always fun to go into a movie with very little knowledge about what to expect. This was styled as a horror movie genre, but in the context of a kid's pizza parlor. Lest you think it's an original premise, it's based on a video game of the same concept.
Mike (Josh Hutcherson) is an unemployed single, tasked with taking care of his 12 year old sister. When offered a nighttime security job at an abandoned pizza parlor, Freddy Fasbender's, he has little choice but to take it. When he is there he finds out that the animatronic robots have a life of their own, populated by mysterious ghosts. Along the way, Mike has to face his own ghosts that he has carried for years.
This is a fun 80s/90s period piece with Freddy's as a good stand in for Chuck E. Cheese. There are some scary parts but the movie seems to have a good heart.
* * * *
Forget any other concert film you have seen, this one beat them all.
Highest level video and audio you can imagine. Feels like you are right there. Good closeups and camera angles.
In a monologue, she says "I wanted to make a show that showcased ALL my albums" But that would be 3.5 hours long! "Yes, and it's going to be called the Eras Tour" Dream it and it will happen.
She's come a long way from a teenager in country music, and I am sure has a lot higher to go.
* * * * *
I had heard this talked of as modern classic, but I thought it was a very uninteresting subject. Leonard Di Caprio is .. "Jordan Belfort"? Who cares!
So as a result, the movie had to be over the top with depictions of cocaine, prostitutes, orgies and cash thrown in the air to rain down.
Maybe it was new and different 10 years ago, but this was pretty boring for my tastes. Hard to take any of it seriously.
Basically a ripoff mashup of Wall Street and Goodfellas. Even the 80s decor seemed fake.
* * of 5
Directed by Martin Scorcese, it's a biopic of Howard Hughes, who in his time was a combination of Elon Musk and the Most Interesting Man in the World. He had an unlimited budget and exceeded it. He spent his money on women, airplanes and movies... wasted the rest!
The most fun parts for me were his famous girlfriends, Jean Harlow (Gwen Stefani), Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) and Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale).
Starring Leonardo Di Caprio and John C. Reilly.
*****
Based on true events, it's another adaption of a Ben Mezrich book about the Game Stop short squeeze in 2020 ending January 2021. You will of course recognize his other movies: 21 and The Social Network.
Retail traders emboldened by boredom, lockdown and Reddit found value in $GME as well as an opportunity to Stick It to the Man. Hilarity ensues.
Starring Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, America Fererra, and Nick Offerman.
Writer/director Christopher Nolan weaves his usual time travel into this historical story by jumping around various years of the life of Robert Oppenheimer.
Starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Florence Pugh
Very creative way to take a 1000 page nonfiction book, American Prometheus, and turn it into something very different for the mass market.
There are 3 distinct acts - first, the introductory years which is where Albert Einstein comes in, then the Building process which is the classic training academy, and finally an interesting twist in act 3. Almost like a final courtroom scene, reminiscent of Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
Interesting use of black and white photography as well as the Anti-Semitism of the day.
4 stars * * * *
Not too early to say that this is already the top box office hit for the year 2023. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling star as Barbie and Ken in this Generation X nostalgia movie version of Barbie's dream doll world.
Directed by Greta Gerwig (Little Women, Lady Bird) it's got a common Coming-Of-Age theme along with the lighthearted aspects of a toy world.
Amazing set and costume design to evoke a dream world based on Barbie's dream house, dream car, dream jobs and so forth. Plus great original music and dancing.
Supporting cast of America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Will Ferrell add some nice plot layering. Basically it's a back and forth between two world, one the dream world of the doll, and the other, the "reality" of suburban life.
I'll give it 5 stars for the originality that comes from a story/concept that already existed.
* * * * *
The third in a line of Agatha Christie murder mystery movie (Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile), it's a closed-door ("actual and literal") mystery starring Kenneth Branaugh as Hercules Piorot, the analytical detective.
The supporting cast makes the movie: good performances by Tina Fey, Michelle Yeou and Jamie Dorman.
After the death of a young woman, her mother Rowena (Kelly Reilly) calls a medium (Michelle Yeou) to discern how the house in Venice is haunted. Of course it is a former orphanage. Adrian (Tina Fey) a mystery writer is invited and she bring Piorot along, mainly to get content for a new book, her 28th.
About 12 people attend the event and they are all various suspects.
Art imitates life, and there are nods both to the real books and movies as well as the classic spoof of the genre Clue (1985) .
* * * *
It's the 40th anniversary so it was a great opportunity to see this classic on the Big Screen. While I was somewhat familiar with the concept, I had never seen it.
Arnie (Keith Gordon) and Dennis (John Stockwell) are California teenagers in 1979. Dennis has a cool car but Arnie has none. In fact, Arnie is kind of a schlub. But when he discovers a 1957 red Plymouth, which he names Christine, his life starts to change.
In short order Arnie, with the help of his new "friend" Christine, takes on a whole new assertive personality. He takes no guff from his parents or the local bullies, and starts to date Leigh, the pretty new girl (Alexandra Paul).
But Christine has a mine of her own, including jealously and rage, and the Machine comes alive, and terrorizes her enemies.
Based on an early Stephen King book, it follows the playbook well. We don't know how things are working but that helps keep our attention.
Directed by John Carpenter, and very similar to his earlier movie the original Halloween (1978) including the music for both which he also did.
One of the first R-rated movies that I saw when I was only 14. I recall going to the theater with my mother. I had told her the plan was that I was going to see another movie, which she was OK with.
In the lobby, I cased out another couple that could stand for my parents and followed closely behind to get in.It was worth it because the jokes and gags have provided many laughs over the years.
For example:
"He hates the cans"
"I was born a poor black child"
"He's got rhythm!"
"Two hundred and fifty big ones"
"The new phone book is here!"
"All I need is this chair"
Not politically correct by modern standards, but it was a spoof in the Mel Brooks/Richard Pryor style of the 70s.
First movie for Steve Martin, who was a stand-up comic up to that point before becoming a big movie star for decades.
