MCN Blogs

By MCN Editor editor@moviecitynews.com

Seen anything TWICE at theaters this year?

Be Sociable, Share!

99 Responses to “Seen anything TWICE at theaters this year?”

  1. Martin Foyle says:

    The Mule. Hugely entertaining & just great to see Clint again, doing his thing. Simple as that.

  2. Pete B. says:

    Haven’t had a chance to catch John Wick 3 again yet, but plan to.

    Otherwise, comic book movies galore:
    Aquaman, Captain Marvel, Shazam, Avengers: Endgame.

  3. bri m says:

    I haven’t seen anything once this year in a theatre that I *really* wanted to see, just the default of what will be least painful

  4. G Spot 3000 says:

    Anyone else watch Paul Thomas Anderson’s music video for Thom Yorke’s Anima on Netflix? It’s interesting how, even if’s markedly different from much of his film work, it’s still obviously apiece of it. Loved it.

  5. cadavra says:

    No, but I hope to see SHAFT one more time before it disappears. What a fabulously entertaining film that so many people missed because those idjit millennial critics didn’t get the point.

  6. Dr Wally Rises says:

    Not in a theater, but I was curious to see the new ‘Encore’ edition of A Star Is Born and checked it out. Has anyone else seen it as well as the theatrical cut? Overall, it’s one of the less revelatory ‘directors cuts’. Some of the new footage is welcome, and it’s nice to see slightly more of Dave Chappelle and Ron Rifkin than in the original. There’s more about Jackson struggling with his hearing damage, and awkwardly stumbling through a stilted conversation with the singer who replaced him at the Roy Orbison tribute. On the flipside, putting back in Allie singing the full chorus of ‘Shallow’ in the parking lot was a mistake, as it blunts the impact of the duet later on. Including the scene of Allie singing to Jackson at their wedding also adds an element of cheese that Cooper, for the most part, kept at bay in the original.

    Sometimes (Almost Famous, The Abyss, Lord of the Rings, Kingdom of Heaven) the extended cuts are a transformative experience that have to be considered definitive. For A Star Is Born, however, unless you’re utterly committed, you’d best just stick to the original version.

  7. Stella's Boy says:

    Was it really just millennial critics who didn’t get Shaft? Seems like a movie no one liked.

  8. Sideshow Bill says:

    Nothing twice. No repeat viewings since Halloween ‘18. I rarely do that. Even once was enough for Endgame.

    Seeing Midsommar and Spider-Man this week and hope they shake the doldrums. Annabelle was freaking vapor. Completely inessential.

    And that damn Alligator movie better be good. Aja better bring the pain.

  9. Hcat says:

    Dr. Wally,

    I am in the minority but I actually prefer the theatrical cut of Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps its because I watched it so many times before seeing the directors cut that any changes might have made me feel the rhythm was off.

    Now someone in the other thread mentioned ‘Thin Red Line’, and while I love the original I would think given the amount of footage shot there could be infinite different cuts of that film, would love to see how things would change if put together in a different order.

  10. movieman says:

    Interesting comment about alternate versions of “The Thin Red Line.”
    I remember reading a copy of Malick’s original script for “Days of Heaven” in the summer of ’78 before it opened.
    It was so markedly different from the finished film they could have been two different movies.
    For starters, it had a far more classical structure–w/ LOTS of dialogue and no voiceover narration.
    I wouldn’t be surprised if Malick has a dozen different versions of every film he’s made in his head.

  11. MarkVH80 says:

    The only Lord of the Rings extended version that’s better than the theatrical version is The Two Towers.

  12. palmtree says:

    US and ENDGAME. US just because it was full of symbolism and riddles that were a fun rabbit hole to go down. ENDGAME, because, well, it’s ENDGAME. I mean I didn’t love the movie that much, but it feels like some piece of cinematic history to be appreciated.

  13. Sideshow Bill says:

    I’ll be seeing Midsommar multiple times. It worked like gangbusters for me.

  14. movieman says:

    Who has the time?
    I can’t remember the last movie I saw twice in theaters: probably not since the ’90s.
    Now all you have to do is wait 2-3 months and watch it at home.
    Which, come to think of it, is the best place to see pretty much everything anymore. (No, I won’t start a harangue about the incivility/annoyances of 21st century multiplexes.)
    For the record, I’ve seen 449 movies so far this year.

  15. Hcat says:

    449?

    Sir that is impressive, that can’t possibly be all theatrical right?

    Curious about accuracy, do you keep a spreadsheet, hashmarks?

  16. Bulldog68 says:

    @Movieman: 449 movies? Wow. Okay, I’m a nerd so I did the math. Lets average it out to 2 hours per movie, give or take, that is approximately 900 hours or 37.5 days. We’ve just passed the half way mark for the year and you’ve spent more than 1/6 of that time watching movies.

    One question: Can I have your life? 🙂

  17. palmtree says:

    One benefit of seeing a movie a second time in the theater…if you wait until a movie is almost gone from theaters, you can have an experience of seeing a movie in a huge theater all by yourself. Or hey, even if it’s one or two other people, you can sit far away from them and basically be cocooned in the movie with no distractions. Nothing beats that big screen.

  18. movieman says:

    Gawd, no, Hcat!
    Barely a fraction of them were seen in a multiplex (thank heavens), and the biggest chunk were films I finally caught up w/ for the first time (“La Guerre est Finie,” “La Belle Noiseuse,” “El Cid,” “The Birthday Party,” et al).
    Some were movies I got to see again after a long absence (e.g., “Avanti!,” “Such Good Friends,” “Royal Flash,” “Help!,” etc.).

    Last night I ventured out to see “MIB: International” (#450, lol) at a second-run discount ($3.50) house (that was quick!), and it was another reminder why I hate the 21st century theatrical experience. Watched the entire mid-section of the movie in a narcoleptic haze.

    Hcat: I keep a notebook in which I list every film I see numerically (w/ U.S. theatrical date of release; director; and a few salient details). I even divide them into months.
    Tried to organize it better by listing each year’s movies alphabetically at year’s end on my computer. But I never wound up completing the task (probably because I’m too busy watching movies, sigh).

    Has anybody seen “The Haunting of Sharon Tate” (#451)? It offers a pretty fascinating alternative take on the Manson killings. For some reason, I found it kind of moving. Not a “good” movie per se, but I’m glad I saw it.
    Tarantino can’t come soon enough.

  19. Hcat says:

    Ohhh, how was El CID? That’s certainly one of my get around to it eventually movies as well. Saw Royal Flash for the first time a few years ago, found it much more engaging than his Musketeers movies.

    Something about what you said about revisiting and filling in the blanks reminds me about another reaction to the Lin excerpt that Mr Pride posted the other day about the future of cinema. It is reassuring to me that even if the entire industry grinds to a halt tomorrow, there are multiple lifetimes of movies available.

  20. movieman says:

    ‘El Cid” was terrific: totally lived up to the auteurist (and Scorseseian) hype.
    Definitely worth seeking out.

    I’m surprised to hear that somebody doesn’t love Lester’s “Three” and “Four Musketeers,” Hcat.
    They were high school fave raves of mine: as pure swashbuckling entertainment, they can’t be beat.

    I just finished Steven Soderbergh’s book-length interview w/ Lester and am now craving a second look at “How I Won the War,” “Cuba” and “Petulia” (which will actually be a fourth look, but I haven’t seen it in years).

  21. movieman says:

    Great opening for “Marianne and Leonard;” terrific hold for “Yesterday” (who said WOM movies were dead?); and a solid launch for Spidey.
    “Toy Story” and “Annabelle” held pretty well, too, although only the latter is surprising.
    And “John Wick” and “Rocketman” continue to show remarkably durable legs.
    P.S.= “Aladdin” has quietly turned into one of the summer’s (and year’s) biggest hits.
    Not sure whether anyone saw that coming.

    N Spider-Man: Far from Home Sony $93,600,000 – 4,634 – $20,199 $185,055,628 $160 1

    2 1 Toy Story 4 BV $34,300,000 -42.5% 4,540 -35 $7,555 $306,557,544 – 3

    3 3 Yesterday Uni. $10,750,000 -36.8% 2,614 +11 $4,112 $36,882,740 $26 2

    4 2 Annabelle Comes Home WB (NL) $9,750,000 -51.9% 3,613 – $2,699 $50,157,397 – 2

    5 4 Aladdin (2019) BV $7,600,000 -24.9% 2,758 -477 $2,756 $320,789,616 $183 7

    6 N Midsommar A24 $6,561,798 – 2,707 – $2,424 $10,902,112 – 1

    7 5 The Secret Life of Pets 2 Uni. $4,760,000 -35.0% 2,846 -507 $1,673 $140,743,335 $80 5

    ….
    26 N Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love RAtt. $44,311 – 4 – $11,078 $44,311 – 1

  22. leahnz says:

    there’s not really a byob so i guess this thread is good as any — with the first look ‘mulan’ thingy to drop, is the mega-budget of around 300m (this is what i heard anyway, not sure if that’s accurate, or includes the nz tax rebate) the largest for any woman feature film director in history? and a kiwi lady to boot (holy shitballs batman niki must have pitched the shit out of that one, go hard or go home. guess they’re after some of that sweet, sweet mcfarland USA money times eleventy-hundred)

  23. Hcat says:

    Movieman, I found Lester’s Dumas duo clunky, and was not impressed with the cast. I get the idea of making a lusty Tom Jonesish version, but I didn’t think they were able to keep the momentum the story requires. And I find Oliver Reed is a tricky presence in any movie, he is perfect if things are batshit crazy, but in a normal movie he just seems sleepy, and York -Ugg. I thought Royal Flash captured what Lester was going for much more effectively.

    Plus I am a little less long in the tooth than you, pure swashbuckling entertainment got defined for me by Raiders, coming to Muskateers years later was like watching the original Fly after seeing Cronenbergs.

    Leah, Caro is a grand choice, of all the directors plucked from the minors (in terms of BO, not talent) that have been tapped for these gargantuan blockbusters, be it for superheros, cartoon adaptions, or dinosaurs, none of them have made a movie that hit me as squarely as Whale Rider. It was absolute perfection and they should have been throwing money at her for the last decade and a half.

  24. Stella's Boy says:

    I’d like to add to the Caro accolades here. Agree that Whale Rider is so, so good, and I’m also a really big fan of North Country. It seems like one of those awards bait movies that wasn’t, and I remember some being disappointed, but I’ve seen it a handful of times and find it incredibly powerful and well-acted. Definitely looking forward to Mulan 2020.

    Anyone watching Too Old to Die Young? Can’t remember if it’s come up here. Like so much these days it didn’t seem to sustain much buzz or interest after it dropped. I’ve watched three episodes. The third is my favorite due to John Hawkes, but even it isn’t anything special. Covers very familiar territory. First two are tough to sit through. So damn slow and dull. Long shots of nothing. Trying so hard to be weird. And Miles Teller is a seriously bland lead. Not sure if I’ll bother with more.

    Seeing Midsommar tomorrow. Very excited. And Crawl coming up soon. Good times.

  25. leahnz says:

    oh yes i agree, didn’t mean to sound otherwise above, NC’s the real deal and she’s been around the block a bit now too so here’s to niki ‘beaucoup cash’ caro (i was more just gobsmacked by the budget, crikey this stuff is getting astronomical, it freaks me out, it’s not a sustainable model)

    also, mulan’s somewhat different in terms of these live-action disney flicks because the source material and the animated flick are not synonymous

    ETA re hcat’s comment, jinx to stella’s owe me a coke

  26. palmtree says:

    That budget probably has to do with the crazy BO that Mulan is gonna make in China. Even if it flops everywhere else in the world, it could probably do $1B in China alone.

  27. Hcat says:

    I know this site is a bit of a bubble and not reflective of a larger audience, but I am really encouraged by how often Crawl is mentioned. I would love it if this little out of nowhere thriller outgrossed MIBI and Dark Phoenix. Plus of course I hope its extraordinary, I am not expecting Quiet Place or Get Out, but for how action orientated everything is, there is never really much tension to studio films anymore. I pray for a gut tightening thrill ride.

  28. Bulldog68 says:

    I’d give my right arm to watch Crawl in an outdoor setting, sitting in a floaty tube, in a lake, at night.

  29. Hcat says:

    Floating in a lake at night watching Crawl I would be worried that the right arm would just for starters.

  30. movieman says:

    LOL, Hcat.
    I remember saying at the time that “Raiders” was “the best swashbuckling uber-entertainment I’ve seen since Lester’s ‘Musketeers’ movies!” in 1981.
    I guess it’s all a matter of timing, isn’t it?
    When–and where–we saw a movie, and at what age/place in life?
    It really does make all the difference.
    I often wonder if my all-time favorite movies (“The Last Picture Show” and “American Graffiti”) would have HIT as hard as they did if I’d seen them at a different point/period in my life (eighth grade and sophomore year of h.s. respectively).
    Maybe, maybe not.
    But I’m eternally grateful that I first saw them when I did. More than any films I’d seen before (“Mary Poppins,” “M*A*S*H,” etc.) or since (you name it), they made me love “The Movies.”

  31. Hcat says:

    MM, mine perfect alignments were Star Wars at four, Time Bandits at eight, Porkeys snuck on cable at ten, Breakfast Club at 13. And In America at early thirty (maybe having kids, specifically two girls, might be a pretty good idea).

    But I am curious on your take of Breakfast Club which to people my age Is a flat out classic, but I have often wondered what people who were already adults the first time they saw it thought of it.

  32. Amblinman says:

    True story:

    My father took me to see Quest for Fire when it was released. The film strip burned out midway through (I can’t say I miss that but…I do?). So he looks at what else is playing and settles on the next best thing to Quest For Fire: Porky’s.

    I was 8. I have never heard my repressed ass electrical engineer father laugh as hard as he did at the shower room gloryhole dick pulling scene.

  33. movieman says:

    Interesting you should mention “Breakfast Club,” Hcat.
    I just watched the first part of that new CNN doc-series (“Movies We Love,” or whatever they’re calling it), and the clips from “BC”–and various comments from celebrity fans–made me want to give it another try.
    Remember being seriously disappointed in it at the time (a sneak preview in February 1985). I’d loved (adored actually) “16 Candles” the previous year, and had been on the Molly Ringwald train since “discovering” her in Mazursky’s “Tempest” back in 1982.
    Found “BC” awfully heavy-handed, even “AfterSchool Special”-preachy,” and I remember comparing it unfavorably w/ another high school movie (“VisionQuest”) that opened the same day. Also recall being viscerally turned off by Judd Nelson, an actor I never did warm up to.
    One of these days I may gave it another look. But the clock is ticking on my expiration date, so who knows whether that will ever happen.
    P.S.= Haven’t seen “VisionQuest” since ’85 either, so not sure whether that would hold up for me. I did see it twice in theaters at the time, though. But I did love Matthew Modine back in the day as much as I loathed Nelson.

    P.P.S.= Amblin’s reminiscence of seeing “Porky’s” with his dad at a young age triggered a memory of how/when I saw “Alfie” as an 8-year-old. My paternal grandfather had taken me downtown to see Disney’s “Monkeys Go Home.” But the line was too long, so he took me to see Michael Caine at another d-town movie palace instead.
    Grandpa had no idea what “Alfie” was about: all that mattered was that there was no line outside the theater, lol. Loved being the only kid in a theater surrounded by grown-ups (felt very “mature”), but remember my mother blowing a gasket upon discovering which movie I’d actually seen that Sunday afternoon.

  34. Hcat says:

    Alfie would have been one of those things you could show an eight year old, I would think anything inappropriate would go right over your head. Though I can understand why your mom was pissed.

    Upon reflection Vision Quest is a more natural, damaged people carving our their lives movie. And Linda Fiorentino is one of those great “why wasn’t she a movie star” question marks. In a time when Debra Winger was turning down everything, we had a tougher version on hand that wasn’t given a shot at the top (we will always have the Last Seduction though).

    As a kid I took Breakfast Club as gospel, thought it was deep and meaningful and remember shaking my head in agreement when they talk about their parents and say ‘once you grow up you die inside.’ Seeing it as an adult I took a little offense at that. Now its interesting as an artifact of the eighties, and an encapsulation on how teens feel, but not nearly the revelation that I used to feel. And its funny you mention Bender, when that came out Bender was the shit, the type of smartass you aspired to be (along with Murphy in Cop, or Murray in Stripes). But in reality those guys in high school were not funny or cool, they were just sad since they weren’t much of anything at all.

  35. movieman says:

    Pretty sure the whole Carnaby Street sexuality went straight over my head.
    And I didn’t even realize there was an abortion in the movie until seeing it as an adult, lol.
    Funny thing is that it was my mom who took me to see “Midnight Cowboy” at the drive-in two and a half years later. Oddly, I “got” it: it hit my 11-year-old self like a ton of bricks.
    Must’ve broadened my horizons a LOT in the intervening years, lol.

    Yeah, Fiorentino was great. (Also loved her in Scorsese’s “After Hours” that same year.)
    You know who was also great (in “VisionQuest”) and never became a star? Michael Schoeffling (Jake Ryan from “16 Candles”). Funny how some made “it” while others didn’t.
    Schoeffling should at least have had as many career opportunities, and leading roles, as Judd frigging Nelson.
    “VisionQuest” had a great soundtrack, too (as well as Madonna!) The Style Council’s “Shout to the Top” was one of the most indelible and iconic of ’80s songs. (Loved that Mia Hansen-Love used it in 2014’s “Eden.”) And although I wasn’t a fan, Journey’s “Only the Young” works beautifully in the movie.
    All that “VisionQuest” talk reminded me of how much I loved Modine back then.
    He was forging such an interesting, Jeff Bridges-like career at the time, consistently working with as many auteur directors–Tony Richardson, Gillian Armstrong, Alan Parker (the wonderful “Birdy”), Schlesinger, Kubrick, duh, etc.–as his ’80s peer Tom Cruise. Never understood why, for all intents and purposes, Modine disappeared in the ’90s. Whenever he pops up in something today (usually in a thankless supporting role) I get a little wistful remembering how great he was once upon a time.

  36. Hcat says:

    I had a friend at the time who was a wrestler so both the film and soundtrack to Vision Quest was his go to entertainment. He would listen to Lunatic Fringe on his Walkman before the match. I miss the constant stream of Soundtrack hits, I am constantly pulling up ‘Take it Easy’ from American Anthem on Spotify when I need a mood uplift.

    Modine had a crowded field to contend with. Think of how many of the stars of the nineties started out as teen actors in the 80s. I don’t think in any other era there was such an explosion of young stars, most didn’t make it (Machio, Edwards) but they all got their shot (Howell, Sutherland, Reihnhold). So if you were looking for a twenty/thirty something lead in the 90s and Cruise or Penn turned it down, Cage or Cusack would surely have jumped in before it got to Modine. If anything Tim Robbins coming up probably took a few roles off Modine’s plate. I could certainly have seen Modine in Shawshank.

  37. movieman says:

    Yes, definitely a crowded field.
    But apparently a lot of smart people (Kubrick, Parker, Altman, et al) saw something special in Modine.
    I think I heard that he developed a drug problem in the ’90s, which could explain his disappearing act.

    And Schoeffling? You’d have though his looks alone (dude was STUNNING!) would have insured him a nice run.
    Pretty sure I read somewhere that Schoeffling just lost interest in acting: possibly because he wasn’t getting the sort of roles he deserved.

    Cage had a great run (“Birdy,” “Peggy Sue,” “Moonstruck,” “Wild at Heart,” “Raising Arizona,” “Racing w/ the Moon,” “Valley Girl,” etc.) for awhile, too. But his career didn’t really hit the skids until after winning his “Leaving Las Vegas” Oscar.
    Remaking himself into an “Action Star” rather than a character actorish leading man was a mistake.

  38. Hcat says:

    While action star undoubtedly paid more, its not like his films preceding Leaving Las Vegas were the same type of Gonzo Wild At Heart whirlwinds that he is associated with. He played the amicably wacky put upon comic lead in a string of peppy live affirming comedies. The Face/Offs and Snake Eyes at least let his freak flag fly a little bit more (though to be honest I do have a giant soft spot for all his castle rock comedies and the like, and I can make it all the way through Family Man).

    It was his straight arrow William Holden Mandolin/ World Trade Center roles where we lost him. McCounaghey and Keanu dropped as far and found their way out of the darkness, wouldn’t be surprised if Cage did as well.

  39. movieman says:

    I’m worried that Cage has done too much crap this century (all those straight-to-DVD clunkers!) there’s no turning back at this point.
    On the rare occasion he’s done something, well, good (e.g., David Gordon Green’s “Joe”or last fall’s gonzo-but-groovy “Mandy”), it gains almost zero traction.
    And certainly hasn’t led to his own “True Detective” or whatever.
    Of course, Charlie Sheen looked on the verge of becoming one of the leading actors “of his generation” after his Oliver Stone two-fer in the ’80s.
    Which definitely didn’t happen, although “Two and a Half Men” apparently gave him more “f**k you” money than any human being should be allowed to waste on hookers and blow.
    I actually like the turn Emilio Estevez took.
    He wasn’t the “exciting” or “hot” Sheen scion back in the day, but he’s forged a nice directorial career making humanist social justice-y kind of movies (e.g., the recent and very much worth-seeing “The Public”). In that regard–unlike Marty’s (physical) doppelgänger Charlie–Emilio is truly his father’s son.
    P.S.= “Face/Off” was great: one of the only Cage “action” movies I’m not ashamed to say I loved. I was thinking of the stuff that came later (after he climbed aboard the Disney locomotive). That said, his “National Treasure” movies have a certain charm.

  40. G Spot 3000 says:

    On the subject of Crawl, two people whose taste I respect saw it months ago and said it was fantastic, unfortunately, it’s not tracking for shit.

  41. Hcat says:

    What’s shit? 8? 12?

    Honestly if it opens to twenty I would think they would be thrilled. What did Don’t breathe open to?

  42. palmtree says:

    Crawl looks like a good time. When I saw the trailer with a friend recently, we were laughing hard all throughout and decided we wanted to see it. But I’m not surprised it’s not tracking. Seems like something a lot of people wouldn’t mind waiting on until it shows up on Netflix.

  43. leahnz says:

    ‘rogue’ is on netflix (here at least) to tide one’s b-movie thirst for killer crocodilians over, it’s not bad (bonus – sam worthington as dickhead redneck in his natural habitat)

  44. Stella's Boy says:

    I love Rogue. Have seen it a few times. Great cast, some solid killer croc carnage, nice scenery. Fun movie.

    Don’t Breathe opened with $26 million. I’m thinking they’d be perfectly fine with a The Shallows type opening (shade under $17 million). Just read that the Crawl budget is $17 million. The Wrap says Paramount is projecting a $10 million opening. That is the only box office preview I could find this morning.

    I definitely would love a Cage comeback. He should do some TV, like a season of Fargo or something. Thought Joe and Mandy would lead to something but as mentioned that didn’t really happen. Is he still paying off debts due to buying castles and what not? Maybe he makes more pumping out all these B-movies? Or his reputation precedes him? No idea what he’s supposed to be like on set. He does do an odd gem every once in a while. Mandy, obviously. Between Worlds is totally bonkers. Always hoping the next little B-movie will turn out to be wonderfully weird.

  45. Bulldog68 says:

    Darn it, no Rogue on Netflix Canada. I’ve never seen it. I see it features another past potential leading man in Michael Vartan, who I guess peaked with Monster In Law as JLo’s love interest. Man has he disappeared.

  46. palmtree says:

    I thought Cage was great as the voice of the Spiderman Noir. Maybe he could actually be Spiderman Noir, not exactly a B movie but still sounds like a lot of fun to me.

  47. sam says:

    Back to the question: I barely get to the movies these days. Wait for streaming or even cable (gasp!). But back in the day, talking 70’s – early 80’s, if you wanted to see a movie, you had to see it in the theater or wait five years to see it on TV when a movie premiere on network TV was a big deal.

    I have seen 1969’s Krakato: East Of Java twice in theaters. It was the first movie that I ever saw at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood and a second time two years ago at the New Beverly!

  48. movieman says:

    Recall seeing “Krakatoa” in the (weep-sigh) halcyon summer of ’69, Sam.
    It wasn’t in Cinerama in my podunk burgh, however.
    I did, however, see it at one of our two remaining downtown movie palaces.
    (The same theater where “The Sound of Music” played for an entire year, and “Dr. Zhivago” ran for 9 months.)
    Recall it as an 11-year-old’s version of a guilty pleasure.
    Haven’t seen it since.
    Wasn’t that Sal Mineo’s last legitimate screen role?

  49. Hcat says:

    ‘you had to see it in the theater or wait five years to see it on TV when a movie premiere on network TV was a big deal’

    About a decade or so behind you but still remember the dilemma. I was in quite a bind as a youth, was not able to be dropped off to see a movie yet, but had tastes that my parents would not sit through. I would desperetly want to see something like Heartbeeps or Superfuzz only to have it disappear immediately and never show up on television. I was able to finally see them about a decade down the line, when they were back in the stacks of a pretty thorough video rental place, and realized why I never came across them before, even my ten year old self should have been able to identify the stink of these things.

  50. movieman says:

    I third Sam’s point:
    That’s probably why I saw certain movies (“American Hot Wax,” “The Wanderers,” “The Last Picture Show,” “American Graffiti,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Taxi Driver,” yes “Star Wars”) in theaters a dozen (or more) times apiece.
    VHS didn’t exist yet, and cable was still a fuzzy-sounding concept in most parts of the country.
    Because if you didn’t see it IN a theater, who knew whether you’d ever get another chance?

  51. movieman says:

    It wasn’t in a theater, but I just watched “High Life” (on DVD) twice in a row.
    Weird and pretty darn wonderful.
    I thought many of Claire Denis’ previous films were egregiously oversold by the Smart Critics Mafia, but this was actually underrated.

    Who would have guessed in 2008 that “Twilight” stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson would emerge as the most interesting (and certainly bravest) actors of their generation?

  52. Christian says:

    “High Life” is the movie of the year so far. Glad to hear it plays well on the small screen.

    Co-sign on Stewart and Pattinson. I feel sorry for people whose impressions of those two are based solely on “Twilight.” The animosity toward both of them, but particularly toward Stewart, for those roles has always disappointed me.

  53. Christian says:

    I suppose this thread is a good place to plug, again, Charles Taylor’s very good “Opening Wednesday at a Theater or Drive-In Near You.” I was born in 1970, so many of the films covered in the book and mentioned in this thread predate my cinephilia. However, the book was consistently engaging. I had planned to watch “Ulzana’s Raid” -covered in my favorite chapter of “Wednesday” – soon after reading the book, but it was pulled off Amazon Prime before I got around to it.

    https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/opening-wednesday-at-a-theater-or-drive-in-near-you-9781632868183/

  54. Stella's Boy says:

    I loved that book. Read it last summer. Watched Winter Kills which I really liked. Dying to see Ulzana’s Raid and Prime Cut.

  55. movieman says:

    Recently re-watched “Ulzana’s Raid” which really held up.

    Haven’t checked out “Winter Kills” in years, but I remember seeing it at least twice (maybe three times) in theaters back then.

    Didn’t care for “Prime Cut” in ’72, but have always wanted to give it another look.
    Weird that Michael Ritchie had two movies released that year (“The Candidate” seemed a lot more in his wheelhouse).

    P.S. to Christian:
    Did you also think, “How did Isabelle Huppert miss out on the Juliette Binoche role?!”

  56. Christian says:

    Ha! Didn’t occur to me, but Huppert could have pulled it off. I really liked Binoche in the film.

  57. Stella's Boy says:

    Prime Cut might not be good but the opportunity to see early ’70s Hackman and Marvin together is so enticing I hope it streams somewhere someday.

  58. movieman says:

    I just reserved a copy of “Prime Cut” from the library, SB.
    (Along w/ “Rancho Deluxe” and “Teorema,” two other movies from that era I’ve been itching to revisit.)
    “PC” has always blended with Hackman’s “The Hunting Party” (1971; costarring Candice Bergen and Oliver Reed) in my memory bank.
    Both–I dimly recall–are batshit crazy, even for the early ’70s.
    Bookended by “Downhill Racer” and “The Candidate,” it was definitely a Michael Ritchie outlier. He wouldn’t do anything as far removed from his comfort zone until 1980’s “The Island.”
    Always wondered whether it was that Peter Benchley clunker or the demise of the New Hollywood era that killed Ritchie’s career.
    Or a combination of both.

    Binoche was great: she reminded me of the prolifgate sensuality displayed early in her career (“Unbearable Lightness,” Techine’s “Rendez-Vous,” etc.).
    Her “High Life” role definitely felt more like something a 21st century Huppert (“Elle,” “The Piano Teacher”) would tackle, though.

  59. Hcat says:

    I have a huge soft spot for Prime Cut, it’s a great Charlie Varickish potboiler, and uses Marvin perfectly (no Point Blank but what is?). Spacek is great in it though the age diff between her and Marvin is really creepy. Though the whole film has a Uber cynical ick factor. It’s a great example of sweaty seventies film.

  60. leahnz says:

    “of SWEATY seventies film”

    my god it’s finally happened

  61. leahnz says:

    longdrop memories:

    https://twitter.com/NoorAjaj/status/826507461540642816

    get out of my country!
    (european-americans first, eh. find the nearest exit. large jars of mayonnaise will sustain you till resettlement in the homeland is achieved)

  62. leahnz says:

    or ‘outhouse memories’ for the north americans, oops who knew longdrop was just us, how provincial

  63. Hcat says:

    Just to clarify, when I referred to it as a sweaty seventies movie I wasn’t trying to compare it to Emmanualle (insert number here). I meant actual perspiration. For some aesthetic reason, a large number of films in the seventies all have cast members constantly glistening like a fat man who just climbed a flight of stairs. Watch Alfredo Garcia and you can practically smell the BO and halitosis.

    For Prime Cut this was probably intentional, Marvin walks through cool as a cucumber while everyone else sweats and licks their fingers after eating a plate of chicken gizzards. While an action film instead of a comedy it does fit in with his other seventies work depicting the rot in our institutions and communities. So while Hackman is a much more active evil than Bruce Dern in Smile they both grin and wave the flag and espouse AMERICAn values as an endorsement of their own self serving goals.

  64. leahnz says:

    the ‘sweaty’ thing was a joke after me complaining in another thread (can’t remember which one) about the word ‘rich’ used in a bunch of reviews i’d just read for some movie, a cringey word esp. when it doesn’t actually describe/mean anything, and i said ‘sweaty’ would be the next cringy descriptor because gen z or zoomers (or whatever they’re called) here uses the word ‘sweaty’ to mean ‘shitty’ and it totally freaks me out (ftr i thought you kind of literally meant ‘sweaty’ so it was just an amusing koinkidink really, clear as mud now i bet huh)

  65. Stella's Boy says:

    The library is a good idea movieman. I’ll check into that. Might be the only way to watch it.

  66. movieman says:

    SB- Since discovering the “Search Ohio” engine on my library’s website, I’ve been consistently amazed and delighted to discover the bounties I’ve found.

    Including scads of titles I hadn’t even realized were released on DVD. (Guess that’s what happens if you relied on Netflix as long as I did.)

    The only problem(s) I’ve encountered so far is their inconsistent and frustrating policy re: putting holds on new releases from out of town branches.
    “La Guerre est Finie” or “State of Siege”? No problem. Panahi’s “3 Faces”? Not so fast there, buckaroo.
    It took me four months to finally get Hong Sangsoo’s “The Day After,” but I was somehow able to scoop up Godard’s “Image Book” a week after its home video release.
    In both cases, they came from out of town branches. Sadly, the municipality I live in has zero interest in foreign language and/or arthouse titles. Yet they purchase every direct-to-video kiddie release and old network TV show boxed sets (e.g., “The Golden Girls” and “Murder She Wrote”).
    Like I said, there’s zero consistency or clear-cut rules.

  67. Christian says:

    Hong’s “The Day After”?

    Hong’s “The Day After”!!

    You’ve *seen* it?? Yes, you have!

    I inadvertently left it off whatever annual list it qualified for – it was released in 2017 but might not have played the Korean Film Festival in DC, where I screened it, until 2018 – but it was the best film I saw that year! (Sucks that I leave off the *best* film, but that happens sometimes in the crunch to remember all films seen, and then rank them, especially when the “qualifying run” was two screenings during a festival.)

    Let me tell you: That film is great. I know this isn’t a religious crowd, but – and I’ve told this to my Christian friends – the woman who plays the Christian character in that film is the *best* depiction of a lived Christianity in film in years – and no one saw the movie! I mean, the prayer she prays toward the end of the film – I was just about undone. Nearly started sobbing. So beautiful.

    OK, that’s today’s “Religion in Film” update from The Religious Guy on these boards.

  68. movieman says:

    Not sure whether we’re talking about the same film, Christian.
    (Although two Korean movies with the same title–and from the same year: this “Day” played the 2017 NYFF–seems like a stretch, lol.)
    Quite honestly, I don’t recall religion playing a significant role in the film.
    It felt pretty much like Hong Sang-soo working his usual “Korean Rohmer” niche.
    I did, however, think it was his most satisfying movie overall since 2002’s “Turning Gate” (the Hong that made me a fan.)

    Watched “Transit” On Demand yesterday and really loved it. Could be my favorite Petzold to date.
    Shockingly, Netflix is sending me “Ash is Purest White.”
    Didn’t even thinking they’d be getting a copy.
    Of course, they didn’t want to see me “Transit” (which is why I paid $5 and tax to watch it yesterday).

    I’m thinking of taking the bait and signing up for Amazon’s “1 month free” trial deal for Prime just to watch Mike Leigh’s “Peterloo.” (It’s currently available for free to Prime subscribers although it’s NOT available to non-members, even for a fee.)
    Getting worried that it’ll never be released on DVD.
    Of course, it’s always easier to sign up for those “free limited trials” than it is to cancel when the period ends.

  69. Stella's Boy says:

    Will Transit and Ash is the Purest White be on Netflix soon? That would be fantastic news.

  70. movieman says:

    Highly doubtful, SB.
    Pretty much the only things streaming on Netflix these days are Netflix’s in-house productions (whether series or movies).
    I was, however, shocked to discover that Christophe Honore’s “Sorry, Angel” was going to begin streaming on Netflix this month.
    (I paid to see it on Amazon in June because Netflix didn’t buy a single copy of the DVD.)
    It’s very much worth watching.

  71. Ray Pride says:

    Where TRANSIT is now: https://www.musicboxfilms.com/film/transit/

    ASH IS PUREST WHITE landed on DVD/Blu today.

  72. Christian says:

    Same movie, MM. From the Nation (just googled to find a reference:

    “There is a confessional nature to Hong’s recent films that seems to strive for absolution through spiritual means—in On the Beach, Kim’s character often prays; in Hong’s other 2017 release, The Day After, she initiates a conversation about God with her boss.”

    https://www.thenation.com/article/hong-sang-soo-kim-min-hee-hotel-by-the-river-grass-movies-new/

    Now, I actually *don’t remember* the praying in “On the Beach,” which I saw on a double bill with “The Day After,” and which had been much more highly publicized than “Day.” That’s part of why I reacted so strongly to “Day”: I hadn’t expected to be on par with “Beach” (which was a bit – a *bit* – of a letdown after all I’d heard about it), much less superior to “Beach,” which I think “Day” is. But I’d be happy to revisit “Beach” sometime soon.

    For those interested, “The Day AFter” is still streaming on Amazon Prime – free for Prime members:
    https://www.amazon.com/Day-After-Kim-Minhee/dp/B07842V7YF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=hong+sang+soo&qid=1563359711&s=gateway&sr=8-1

    What other Hong movies do you enjoy, MM? I have a Blu-ray of “Right Now, Wrong Then,” but I had to watch a few Hongs, puzzled at the acclaim, before finding one that really landed with “Right Now, Wrong Then.” I suddenly stopped asking myself about Hong’s sudden zooms (a signature, the meaning of which I still can’t figure out – but I no longer care to figure it out).

    I still remember seeing a Hong starring Huppert, “In Another Country,” at the Virginia Film Festival and struggling to figure out why I enjoyed watching it, even though it added up to … not much? That was a frustrating period for me with Hong’s movies. I should revisit that one.

  73. Christian says:

    Oh, and “Transit” is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. Admittedly, I argued with the film while watching it – I didn’t care for some of Petzold’s choices (although I haven’t read the source novel) – but knew soon after seeing it and tweeting my disdain/puzzlement that the movie was sticking with me in the way good movies do. I’ve thought about “Transit” *a lot* since then, and have recommended it to anyone even mildly interested in seeing it.

  74. movieman says:

    Even though I’ve enjoyed watching them, most of Hong’s movies have tended to recede into my memory bank, Christian.
    Possibly because most seem like variations on the same theme (middle-aged guy–usually a film director, or “artist” of some kind–has a complicated history w/ women, most of whom find him fairly irresistible).
    The Huppert movies (there were two, right?) stick out from his recent stuff, probably because of Huppert.
    “Turning Gate” was one of the few Hongs about young(er) people (maybe because Hong himself was younger at the turn of the century).
    I remember making a claim at the time that it belonged in the same class as two of my all-time favorite French rom-coms: Truffaut’s “Stolen Kisses” and Rohmer’s “Boyfriends and Girlfriends.”

    Can’t agree more about “Transit”‘s lingering impact.
    A friend who said that it was merely “OK” after seeing it a few weeks back admitted to me (after telling her how much I loved it) that she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about it.
    Didn’t you think the lead actor looked a bit like a cross between Joaquin Phoenix and Sean Penn?

  75. Christian says:

    Now that you mention the resemblance, I can see it. But I don’t think it would have occurred to me otherwise.

    I don’t see all Hong movies. There was a third from him just last year – on the short side, I think: 60 minutes or thereabouts – that played for a couple of weeks, but I didn’t prioritize it. (Looks it up: It’s “Claire’s Camera.” With Huppert! And its 1 hour and 9 minutes long.) I agree that his films are thematically similar. I can’t figure out why, after trying three or four, his style seemed to suddenly blossom for me with “Right Now, Wrong Then.”

  76. movieman says:

    I’ve enjoyed pretty much every Hong to date–and I’ve seen virtually all of them except his most recent films like “Grass” and “Hotel by the River” which haven’t been released on DVD yet.
    But most of his movies post-“Turning Gate” sort of bleed together because of their thematic/stylistic similarities. (I have the same problem with Budd Boetticher’s ’50s westerns, lol.) “The Day After” is the first Hong I’ve flat-out loved since “TG.”
    He also directed a film w/ one of my all-time favorite titles: 2004’s “Woman is the Future of Man.”

  77. movieman says:

    Another arthouse recommednation:

    I’m surprised “Peterloo” was given the cold shoulder by members of the Smart Critics Mafia who have previously lionized Mike Leigh.
    Truth be told, I was expecting a slog along the lines of Ken Loach’s “Land and Freedom:” dry speechifying in period garb for two-and-a-half hours-plus.
    I hadn’t expected a cogent, refreshingly linear epic of great beauty and majesty.
    My only quibble is with the final half hour in which the cross-cutting between landed gentry and rabble-rousing citizenry was laid on a tad thick for my taste. Otherwise, a terrific movie that deserved better from both critics and the general public who stayed away in droves last spring.
    Anyone who has Amazon Prime should give it a try.

  78. Christian says:

    Did I not follow up on your earlier mention of “Peterloo,” MM? Just watched it over the weekend, and my reaction was similar to yours. Now, I’m embarrassed to say I have real struggles with British accents. Always have since I was a boy. I watched “Peterloo” with the subtitles on, and frankly, it helped. I’m geneally terrible with history and historical dramas, but I enjoyed watching “Peterloo” – literally enjoyed watching it, as the MVP is DP Dick Pope (as it was with Leigh’s M. Turner).

  79. movieman says:

    I kept the subtitles on, too, Christian: definitely was helpful, especially with some of the Cockney period argot.
    Very much enjoyed it as well, although I’ve always had a soft spot for historical dramas.
    The complaints about how “boring” and “dramatically inert” it was puzzled me.
    Thought it was the opposite of that (can I call it “dynamic”?), and yes Dick Pope’s cinematography played a major role in that. Another fantastic-looking Pope movie.
    Until the ending (see above), I found it to be one of Leigh’s most thoroughly entertaining movies since “Topsy Turvy” (one of my favorite Leighs, and another period historical drama).

  80. Hcat says:

    Curious to hear if Peterloo has any standout performances. Epic never seems like a word I would associate with a Leigh film since they seem to always be character driven pieces with the actors providing most of the heavy lifting. Have to say I am intrigued by the praise, you’ve moved it to the top of the todo list.

    Watched Captain Marvel with my daughter last night and need something substantial to get the taste out of my brain.

  81. movieman says:

    It’s an ensemble piece by and large, Hcat, although Rory Kinnear (as usual) is a standout.
    He’s also one of the few recognizable names in the top-notch cast.

    Since I’ve got Prime for the month, I watched the first episode/first season of “Fleabag” last night. Wow; really terrific!
    Also want to check out the Matthew Weiner series (“The Romanoffs”?), “Mrs. Maisel” and “Homecoming.”

    Not to mention the Stephen Frears/Hugh Grant “Scandal” miniseries from 2018, and Peter Greenaway’s “The Baby of Macon” (w/ a pre-“Schindler’s List” Ralph Fiennes and pre-“Legends of the Fall” Julia Ormond).
    Not expecting to get through even half of the stuff on my wish list–especially since I have to watch Amazon on my laptop–but I’ll do my darnedest.

  82. Hcat says:

    I have found Prime to be a better streamer than Netflix, More actual movies, with an emphasis on the smaller (A24 and Amazon’s own theatrical brand). Older (at least seventies films) seem to be better represented as well. I need my UA and Gulf and Western fixes from time to time and I’m get them more often from Prime than Netflix.

  83. palmtree says:

    Fleabag is supremely watchable with short episodes and short seasons and fantastic writing and acting. I know it won’t win much at the Emmys but I’ll be rooting for it.

  84. Glamourboy says:

    Movieman, I’d highly suggest that you continue with Fleabag….it is sometimes breathless storytelling….and season 2 is even better than season 1. It is my new favorite show…and it is a complete original…it may tread on familiar storylines but I feel like I’ve never seen this show before.

  85. Hcat says:

    All in on Fleabag as well, like a demented, depressed Bridget Jones Diary. If anyone dethrones Dreyfus for the top spot I would love for them to award her.

  86. Amblinman says:

    Top Gun Maverick looks so fucking stupid. I need guys my age to stop greenlighting their movie childhood over and over.

  87. movieman says:

    All in on “Fleabag:” I’ve watched three episodes so far, and wouldn’t miss the remaining nine for anything at this point.

  88. movieman says:

    Another arthouse plug:

    Absolutely loved “Ash is Purest White:” it’s a monumental elegy for life in 21st century China and extraordinarily moving.
    Definitely my favorite Zhangke movie to date.
    Seek it out.

  89. Hcat says:

    So are there no dogfights in Tog Gun?? Whats the point? I was not the fan everyone else was of my generation but at this point will clamor for anything that was actually shot and not added later on a computer screen, but if its just flying formations….bah.

    Of course though, Connelly on the big screen, always welcome.

  90. Stella's Boy says:

    I agree that TG: Maverick trailer is pretty terrible, trying to overcome dull or familiar footage with nostalgia, particularly the music. But it’s a million times better than the new Jay & Silent Bob trailer. Holy fucking shit I get that Smith has never been a brilliant filmmaker but that’s a comically inept trailer.

  91. Hcat says:

    Who would sign up to release another Jay and Bob movie?

  92. Stella's Boy says:

    Saban apparently.

  93. movieman says:

    I usually don’t wish movies ill will at the box office, but I’m worried that if “Maverick” is a smash it’ll augur a second term for Trump.

  94. Ray Pride says:

    On video now.

  95. Ray Pride says:

    The original stage version of FLEABAG will be in theaters during ongoing Emmy season.

  96. movieman says:

    Stage version of what, Ray?
    “Fleabag” was originally a play?
    Or are you referring to something else?

    P.S.= Am I the only one who’s confused, lol?

  97. palmtree says:

    I think Fleabag was originally a play. She talked about bringing the play to NYC when she was on Colbert I think.

  98. Ray Pride says:

    A recording of the FLEABAG play will be shown in theaters soon.

  99. movieman says:

    Alrighty then.

The Hot Blog

Quote Unquotesee all »

It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher

“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.

~ David Simon