MY PERSONAL FILM FESTIVAL DURING THIS TIME - WEEK 05
Here's what I watched this past week and rated on a 5-star system (0 is the worst, 5 is the best) based on true worth-watching merit IMHO.
Sunday, April 12, 2020 - Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
My oldest son Luke, now home from college and finishing out his freshman year at home, has decided to watch one Marvel movie a day and rank them against each other. When I heard that he was watching Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) Easter Sunday night, I asked if I could join him. While I still think Avengers: Infinity War (2018) is the best Avengers movie, Ultron remains my favorite. Besides my love of robots, the film is packed with great sequences large and small ranging from the epic battle between Iron Man (in the Hulkbuster suit) and The Hulk to seeing Stan Lee "drunk" after drinking Thor's secret liquor. Also, the flirting between Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk is so darn endearing and entertaining - it's a real shame the romance just gets pushed aside in later Marvel films. Oh, and by the way, Luke ranks this film #14 out of all 23 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Rating: 2.5 STARS
And here's links to my previous week recaps of
MY PERSONAL FILM FESTIVAL DURING THIS TIME (oldest to newest):
Sunday, April 12, 2020 - Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
My oldest son Luke, now home from college and finishing out his freshman year at home, has decided to watch one Marvel movie a day and rank them against each other. When I heard that he was watching Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) Easter Sunday night, I asked if I could join him. While I still think Avengers: Infinity War (2018) is the best Avengers movie, Ultron remains my favorite. Besides my love of robots, the film is packed with great sequences large and small ranging from the epic battle between Iron Man (in the Hulkbuster suit) and The Hulk to seeing Stan Lee "drunk" after drinking Thor's secret liquor. Also, the flirting between Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk is so darn endearing and entertaining - it's a real shame the romance just gets pushed aside in later Marvel films. Oh, and by the way, Luke ranks this film #14 out of all 23 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Rating: 2.5 STARS
 |
| These are the films I watched this week. Not pictured: Night Flight (1933) - the one film I watched on TCM this week. |
Monday, April 13, 2020 - Singin' In the Rain (1952)
It's Monday. It's raining. And it's director Stanley Donen's birthday. The perfect time to watch "everyone's favorite musical" - Singin' in the Rain (1952). If you're interested in a bizarre comparison of this Gene Kelly classic to Star Wars, read and listen to the Digging Star Wars blog entry that explored this film's connection to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983).
Rating: 4 STARS
Tuesday, April 14, 2020 - Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
August 14, 2008: My family goes to see Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) on its opening day in a boardwalk movie theater in Ocean City, NJ. April 14, 2020: I'm still trying to love this movie. Oh, it has some great moments and the animation/design is unique and (sort of) impressive. It just falls short. How short? It was nominated for a 2008 Razzie for The Worst Prequel. Truth be told, this is the weakest Star Wars movie - which is why LucasFilm/Disney rarely talk about the film. The TV series is still going strong and went on to do amazing things with character development, story writing, animation, editing, sound design, you name it. But it's theatrical release launch was, well, pretty poodoo. Check out a previous Digging Star Wars review of The Clone Wars movie and TV series featuring special guest Josh Taback. N.B. Later in the week, Disney+ dropped the first of the final four episodes of the Clone Wars series and this week's episode referenced at least 2 key moments in this 2008 Clone Wars film.
Rating: 1.5 STARS
Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - Back to the Future (1985)
My heart sank when my iPhone pinged me to get ready for my flight to California. I had canceled the flight shortly after TCM canceled it's 2020 Film Festival in LA. Over the past few weeks, my good friend Josh Taback (yes, the same special guest I just mentioned with Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and I talked about screening the opening film together. And so, with popcorn and wine in my TCM mug, I met with Josh on Zoom and we screened one of our favorite films: Back to the Future (1985). As Josh put it, we've seen this movie so many times we can close our eyes and see the film in our minds at whim. We chatted over the flick about all the greatness of this movie. The acting - both cheesy and sincere - works perfectly. And that Alan Silvestri magical score! The tiny, juicy snippets of music from Huey Lewis & The News, Eric Clapton, Lindsey Buckingham and, of course, "Marty McFly and the Starlighters" are wonderful, too. What really struck us in this viewing was the awesome edit. Editors Harry Keramidas and Arthur Schmidt love to cut through time: 1950s Doc looks to Bell Tower -- cut to: 1980s helicopter flies over Bell Tower; George McFly (Crispin Glover) kisses Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson) on the dance floor -- cut to: Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) popping up into frame, fully restored from a potential time/space continuum erasure; and so on. The ironic thing is that both Josh and I felt like we traveled through time and we're being watched by our younger selves looking at the men-stuck-in-this-weird-situation. Near the end of the film, 1980s teenage Marty tells Doc to look him up in the 2015. Marty says wistfully, "I should be about 47." Josh and I groaned. Oh, to be young again.
Rating: 5 STARS
Thursday, April 16, 2020 - The Man Who Knew Too Much (1955)
I've seen this film before and never liked it. But, TCM had The Man Who Knew Too Much (1955) on the original roster for this year's Film Fest - so, I watched it for the second time this year. Unfortunately, my love for the flick didn't grow. In the film, an ambassador quips: "You English intellectuals will be the death of us all." If I didn't know Hitchcock's other work, I might say the same thing about his attempt to bore me to death with this movie. Oh, don't get me wrong: the film is superbly constructed. Doris Day is Doris Day (guessing I'm supposed to be impressed with her cuteness and vulnerability?) and Jimmy Stewart is a toned-down version of his trademark himself. But after seeing and loving Hitchcock films like Rope (1948), Rear Window (1954), and North by Northwest (1959), I expect more from his films. This film is flat and never emotionally involves me as a viewer. And that Oscar-winning song "Que Sera Sera" - annoying!
Rating: 1 STAR
Friday, April 17, 2020 - Robin Hood (1973)
TCM has listed Disney's Robin Hood on the docket for their Grand Illusions: Fantastic Worlds theme for the TCM Classic Film Festival. Having only seen the film once before, I was really looking forward to seeing the animated classic on the big screen to determine if I liked it (my last viewing left me a little flat). Then, a few days before Friday 4/17, Disney announced on Twitter that they were planning a live-action remake of Robin Hood (1973)! And, with the usual angst, Twitter was set afire with complaints. But, I digress. Having watched this film a second time, I can honestly say I love this movie. While Disney respectfully nods to the Errol Flynn version, they also take liberties in animating animal battles like football games, treating snakes like ropes and other thoughtful silliness. The romance is sweet. The action is delightful. And I loved the style of the characters and backgrounds. The look of this Robin Hood kept reminding of the 80's arcade game Dragon's Lair - which was one of my all-time favorites.
Rating: 3.5 STARS
Saturday, April 18, 2020 - Night Flight (1933)
Finally, I'm watching a film listed in TCM's TCMFF 2020 - Special Home Edition! Obviously, the films they had planned on showing in LA differ than the films they are showing on their network. The "stay-the-heck-home" fest includes panels and movies screened at previous fests. In this case, Night Flight (1933) was screened at the 2011 fest. And when did I watch this movie? At 3am, of course. I blame too much popcorn during Robin Hood (1973). At any rate, this is my type of movie. It's star-studded: John Barrymore, Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore (my recent fandom of Lionel overwhelms me), Robert Montgomery, and Myrna Loy (my time-travel celebrity crush on her continues). It has dated-but-great animation of plane shadows and ghost-like minute hands moving on a clock with dread and doom. The sound design is superb - especially when the plane-to-station radio stops working. The camera movement, lighting and frame composition are worthy of study in both film production and film theory classes. This, my friends, is a well-crafted film.
Rating: 4 STARS
It's Monday. It's raining. And it's director Stanley Donen's birthday. The perfect time to watch "everyone's favorite musical" - Singin' in the Rain (1952). If you're interested in a bizarre comparison of this Gene Kelly classic to Star Wars, read and listen to the Digging Star Wars blog entry that explored this film's connection to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983).
Rating: 4 STARS
Tuesday, April 14, 2020 - Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
August 14, 2008: My family goes to see Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) on its opening day in a boardwalk movie theater in Ocean City, NJ. April 14, 2020: I'm still trying to love this movie. Oh, it has some great moments and the animation/design is unique and (sort of) impressive. It just falls short. How short? It was nominated for a 2008 Razzie for The Worst Prequel. Truth be told, this is the weakest Star Wars movie - which is why LucasFilm/Disney rarely talk about the film. The TV series is still going strong and went on to do amazing things with character development, story writing, animation, editing, sound design, you name it. But it's theatrical release launch was, well, pretty poodoo. Check out a previous Digging Star Wars review of The Clone Wars movie and TV series featuring special guest Josh Taback. N.B. Later in the week, Disney+ dropped the first of the final four episodes of the Clone Wars series and this week's episode referenced at least 2 key moments in this 2008 Clone Wars film.
Rating: 1.5 STARS
 |
| My phone lit up Wednesday with reminders of airline flights that were canceled long ago. This was going to be the day I flew to Burbank, met up with my good friend Josh and got ready to attend the TCM Film Festival in LA. We decided to screen the slated opening film BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985) together on Zoom to kick the fest off virtually. |
Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - Back to the Future (1985)
My heart sank when my iPhone pinged me to get ready for my flight to California. I had canceled the flight shortly after TCM canceled it's 2020 Film Festival in LA. Over the past few weeks, my good friend Josh Taback (yes, the same special guest I just mentioned with Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and I talked about screening the opening film together. And so, with popcorn and wine in my TCM mug, I met with Josh on Zoom and we screened one of our favorite films: Back to the Future (1985). As Josh put it, we've seen this movie so many times we can close our eyes and see the film in our minds at whim. We chatted over the flick about all the greatness of this movie. The acting - both cheesy and sincere - works perfectly. And that Alan Silvestri magical score! The tiny, juicy snippets of music from Huey Lewis & The News, Eric Clapton, Lindsey Buckingham and, of course, "Marty McFly and the Starlighters" are wonderful, too. What really struck us in this viewing was the awesome edit. Editors Harry Keramidas and Arthur Schmidt love to cut through time: 1950s Doc looks to Bell Tower -- cut to: 1980s helicopter flies over Bell Tower; George McFly (Crispin Glover) kisses Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson) on the dance floor -- cut to: Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) popping up into frame, fully restored from a potential time/space continuum erasure; and so on. The ironic thing is that both Josh and I felt like we traveled through time and we're being watched by our younger selves looking at the men-stuck-in-this-weird-situation. Near the end of the film, 1980s teenage Marty tells Doc to look him up in the 2015. Marty says wistfully, "I should be about 47." Josh and I groaned. Oh, to be young again.
Rating: 5 STARS
Thursday, April 16, 2020 - The Man Who Knew Too Much (1955)
I've seen this film before and never liked it. But, TCM had The Man Who Knew Too Much (1955) on the original roster for this year's Film Fest - so, I watched it for the second time this year. Unfortunately, my love for the flick didn't grow. In the film, an ambassador quips: "You English intellectuals will be the death of us all." If I didn't know Hitchcock's other work, I might say the same thing about his attempt to bore me to death with this movie. Oh, don't get me wrong: the film is superbly constructed. Doris Day is Doris Day (guessing I'm supposed to be impressed with her cuteness and vulnerability?) and Jimmy Stewart is a toned-down version of his trademark himself. But after seeing and loving Hitchcock films like Rope (1948), Rear Window (1954), and North by Northwest (1959), I expect more from his films. This film is flat and never emotionally involves me as a viewer. And that Oscar-winning song "Que Sera Sera" - annoying!
Rating: 1 STAR
Friday, April 17, 2020 - Robin Hood (1973)
TCM has listed Disney's Robin Hood on the docket for their Grand Illusions: Fantastic Worlds theme for the TCM Classic Film Festival. Having only seen the film once before, I was really looking forward to seeing the animated classic on the big screen to determine if I liked it (my last viewing left me a little flat). Then, a few days before Friday 4/17, Disney announced on Twitter that they were planning a live-action remake of Robin Hood (1973)! And, with the usual angst, Twitter was set afire with complaints. But, I digress. Having watched this film a second time, I can honestly say I love this movie. While Disney respectfully nods to the Errol Flynn version, they also take liberties in animating animal battles like football games, treating snakes like ropes and other thoughtful silliness. The romance is sweet. The action is delightful. And I loved the style of the characters and backgrounds. The look of this Robin Hood kept reminding of the 80's arcade game Dragon's Lair - which was one of my all-time favorites.
Rating: 3.5 STARS
Saturday, April 18, 2020 - Night Flight (1933)
Finally, I'm watching a film listed in TCM's TCMFF 2020 - Special Home Edition! Obviously, the films they had planned on showing in LA differ than the films they are showing on their network. The "stay-the-heck-home" fest includes panels and movies screened at previous fests. In this case, Night Flight (1933) was screened at the 2011 fest. And when did I watch this movie? At 3am, of course. I blame too much popcorn during Robin Hood (1973). At any rate, this is my type of movie. It's star-studded: John Barrymore, Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore (my recent fandom of Lionel overwhelms me), Robert Montgomery, and Myrna Loy (my time-travel celebrity crush on her continues). It has dated-but-great animation of plane shadows and ghost-like minute hands moving on a clock with dread and doom. The sound design is superb - especially when the plane-to-station radio stops working. The camera movement, lighting and frame composition are worthy of study in both film production and film theory classes. This, my friends, is a well-crafted film.
Rating: 4 STARS
IMDB links to what I watched so far (most recent entries listed at the top):
- Night Flight (1933)
- Robin Hood (1973)
- The Man Who Knew Too Much (1955)
- Back to the Future (1985)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
- Singin' in the Rain (1952)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Frozen II (2019)
- Son of God (2014)
- Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928)
- Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
- El Mariachi (1992)
- College (1927)
- Bella (2006)
- The Aristocats (1970)
- Naqoyqatsi (2002)
- The Killing (1956)
- Stray Dog (1949)
- Saving Private Ryan (1998)
- The Pink Panther (1963)
- Airplane! (1980)
- I Married A Witch (1942)
- The Mole People (1956)
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Theory of Achievement (1991)
- Strange Brew (1983)
- When Worlds Collide (1951)
- Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
- Siren of the Tropics (1927)
- High Anxiety (1977)
- Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)
- Green Book (2018)
- The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)
- The Family Jewels (1965)
- The Railrodder (1965)
And here's links to my previous week recaps of
MY PERSONAL FILM FESTIVAL DURING THIS TIME (oldest to newest):
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