Last movie you watched......

There's a remake of "Tank Girl" in development with Margot Robbie in the title role.

I'd buy that for a buck.

 

Just finished The Report. Not bad.

 

A couple of nights ago, I watched Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, on the Netflix. It was an enjoyable 90 minutes or whatever. Starts out as your typical slasher film: College kids go camping in the woods and have an encounter with some hillbillies and get scared. After that, it's not your typical slasher film.

This wasn't great by any means, but good enough...there were a few LOL moments.

 

Anyone familiar with Jack Reacher? The books particularly? Saw the second one and in it he is subject to a what turns out to be fake paternity suit - which is fine if you want to make him a "pseudo-dad" in a movie, but quite terrible when you never mention how this particular kid and her mom came up with this particular person to drop a paternity suit on. I mean, wouldn't it be better if you were going after money to name someone who has a home and a job and some money instead of a drifter - yet the movie - never explains it.

 

The books are pretty good, for what they are. Somewhat formulaic, but it's an internally consistent character and his world. Lee Child found a formula that works for his character and continues to mine it. Reacher was a Major in the M.P.s, who got screwed over by the Army and IIRC was forced to retire. He lives as a drifter. He's got a bank account where his checks are deposited but no fixed address, and he travels around as the spirit moves him. Most times he doesn't even do laundry, just wears stuff till it's dirty and then buys a couple of changes of clothes at a thrift store and bins what he had been wearing. He rolls into town on a bus or catching a ride with someone, and something happens to him, or in front of him, or to someone who he takes up for, and he winds up drawn into the plotline of that book. Baddie might be the local rich bully, or an abusive manager in a company town, or some sort of criminal gang. He's got an investigative cop's mindset, but little tolerance for cop bullshit, and he gets a lot of it as a scary looking stranger with no fixed address.

He comes and goes. He's got friends that he can call on for information or favors, or that he'll go to in order to them protect from some threat. He's also big, tough, and physically intimidating, which is why the fans got their knickers in a twist over casting Tom Cruise. Cruise carries it off ok most of the time, but book fans find him ludicrous in the role.

I vaguely remember that plot - there are twenty-some books - he had a daughter he knew nothing about, but it was well on into the series. There was an actual plot to it in the book. The first movie was fairly good. I didn't care much for the second.

 

Thought the editing wasn't very good on the second one and I could easily see where the scene where the connection is explained was cut in favor for another 20 seconds of a fight scene.

 

It's weird how things become when you get older. Saw A Woman Under The Influence at the local revival house.

I really liked it and it deserves its classic status. On the other hand, two days since and this is the first time I've thought about it. If I was younger, it would've made a huge impact. Now it's just another title on the cinematic bucket list, a blip.

 

Finally, finally saw "Snowpiercer." A good sci-fi/murder on a train combination.

And after watching that, my appreciation for Atkins protein bars has increased greatly!

 

Watched Ford vs. Ferrari the other night and absolutely loved it. Bale was awesome as Ken Miles, and Damon was strong in the role of Shelby. Underrated was Jon Bernthal as Lee Iacocca. I knew the broad strokes of the story, but there was quite a bit I didn't know (I haven't yet fact-checked to see what was real and what was exaggerated/made up).

The cinematography was great and, given how elegant and sleek the GT40 and Ferrari 330 are when you see them in a collection or at an auto show, it was cool to see the grimy and gritty look of them in action. Also great was the reliance on real cars actually driving, rather than CGI.

I've now seen four of the best pic nominees — Joker, 1917, FVF and The Irishman. FVF was easily the most enjoyable to watch. Joker had a more profound effect on me (I still find myself thinking about it and dissecting it) and 1917 seemed like the best achievement in film, but Ford vs. Ferrari was damn fun to watch, and it was expertly acted and filmed.

 

Probably the last one in on this, but Mission Impossible Fallout lived up to the hype two years later. They probably do a better job blending their practical stunts and the stuff done with a green screen than any other franchise. In an age of movies being able to pluck any actor out of the crowd and make them a viable lead in a superhero movie - it's nice to know actors like Cruise can still bring the goods.
How hasn't he received at least an honorary Oscar at this point given his $4b box office, with minimal assist from a pre-existing franchise/character, is beyond me. He's a freak.

 

Highly recommend Uncut Gems. Adam Sandler is in his element, and he really shines when given the right material.

If you liked UG, I suggest Good Time, another anxiety inducing film by the same directors.

 

Disappointed in Midsommar. Thought the idea of a horror film shot in broad daylight had great potential and it was a great set-up - but it never fully connected.
It almost required one of those Shamalyan twists at the end, or at least a kicker or something that tied everything together or gave the thing some meaning.