Last movie you watched......

Have been raiding the local public library's indie selections lately.

Skeleton Twins — Pretty good, darker than I thought it would be with Kristin Wiig and Bill Hader in the lead roles. Some comedy in there, but just the right touches.

Thank You for Sharing — Great cast (Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow and, surprisingly, Pink) in a tale about addiction. Alright overall, if a bit predictable and about 20 minutes too long.

Laggies — Kiera Knightley, Chloe Grace Moretz and Sam Rockwell in a little bit of a rom-com mashed with a teen/adult angsty film. Not bad, but I'd watch Knightley do a "two girls, one cup" video and be happy, so I'm not a neutral critic. Rockwell is becoming a favorite as the guy who always has "the" line of the movie. (ie "The Way Way Back")

 

The Blues Brothers. My first viewing.

I didn't get it. I'm about a decade too young.

I thought it was something that was going to be Blazing Saddles funny. I chuckled maybe twice. Just didn't see the big deal.

 

I personally love the movie, but I get that it's probably not for everyone.

Unlike Blazing Saddles, I don't think you had a whole lot of gags per se to laugh at in the movie. For me, the amusement was just seeing how ridiculous the plot and scenes were, mainly how every law enforcement officer in the state of Illinois, a country-music band and honky-tonk owner, f-ing Illinois Nazis and a hairdresser who was a dead ringer for Princess Leia were all at once chasing down these two penny-ante criminals.

And, the music wasn't bad, either.

 

The Rainmaker. For the millionth time.

 

It has been running on HBO this month. Finally got to see the whole thing and really liked it. Some similarities to Taken, but that was about a rescue rather than revenge. Both well done in their own way.

 

Wait...

Was it a TV version or the real unedited version?

It's not meant to make you laugh hilariously. It's a love letter to the city of Chicago. It's a love letter to blues music and the musicians they showcase. It's also a very dry humor.

The musical numbers are amazing.

 

Real unedited versions, with deleted scenes.

The guy who selected it -- 4-6 years older than me -- swore I'd roll laughing. The other people attending (we used the apartment's movie room for a group showing) were 10-20 years older than me and thought it was hysterically funny.

I have an extremely dry humor myself. I didn't find it funny.

The musical numbers were fine, but if I want a love letter to Chicago in a movie, I'm picking Ferris Bueller.

The guy younger than me watching it liked the car crashes. To that end, I am more a Dukes fan. The plot was just so ridiculous I can see how you'd need to be stoned to enjoy it.

 

Ok ....
Do you like the Rocky Horror Picture Show?

 

After the series, I think if strict continuity hasn't exactly gone out the window, it's standing there, teetering on the ledge. And....

[SPOILERS]

I'm perfectly happy with the (...maybe all in my own mind...) idea that Skynet has been stopped dozens of times. And that dozens of Terminators and Kyle Reeses have traveled back through time, each to a newish alternative universe. You can't stop Judgement Day but you can keep edging it forward.

 

Never seen it. It doesn't strike me as something that would appeal to me.

 

The story behind the mall used in a Blues Brothers chase scene is pretty grim. The mall was probably only half occupied when the filming took place. Within a couple of years, it was completely closed up. Nature took over, trees were growing out of it, and there were multiple fires. The mall has since been bulldozed. I'm not sure how many coffeemakers were destroyed.

Dixie Square Mall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Standups ...
Rodney Carrington's Laughter's Good ... Not bad, but I feel asleep.
Ralphie May Imperfectly Yours ... Hil-arious! Much better than his last two stands up specials I watched. He's one of my favorite working stand ups right now.

Documentaries
Elaine Stritch's "Shoot Me" .. Not bad... stretched out. I always loved her, but she was a typcial "star"'ved for attention.
Bob Weir .... "The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir" ... Boring as a fuck. Not a big GD fan anyway, but damn... This covered no new ground and was a total yawner.

A Most Violent Year: Movie about a guy and his wife in early 1980s NYC trying to expand their company during heating oil wars. Jessica Chastain was in it.
The acting was good. The story was good, but is was kind of slow and plodding and ultimately left me flat.