What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in Time

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Buscemi2
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by Buscemi2 »

I'm glad I never signed up for MoviePass. It doesn't cover rep screenings, few places near me take the service, and a lot of the new movies released just aren't very good. You seriously want me to sit through Midnight Sun or The Snowman just to make your unlimited service worth it?
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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It's worth it if you see 2 movies a month really.

I love MP, and I don't care what their business model is - I'm paying $10/month to see up to 30 brand new movies? Yeah, I'll take that everyday of the week.

I know they're selling my movie watching data and travel habits going to/coming from the movies, which is well worth it to me. Hell, the NSA is recording every phone conversation I've ever had, Amazon is listening into my living room, and AT&T is recording every single place I go. And they aren't giving me free movies.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by W »

Buscemi2 wrote:I'm glad I never signed up for MoviePass. It doesn't cover rep screenings, few places near me take the service, and a lot of the new movies released just aren't very good. You seriously want me to sit through Midnight Sun or The Snowman just to make your unlimited service worth it?
At the current price it's "worth it" if you use it 1x a month at a non-matinee. If you watch only Avengers, Solo, and Deadpool this month, you're paying $3.33 per. So for me, I'm happy with it. If you want to see a specialty screening, a different theater, or something else they don't cover then pay out of your pocket and you're still ahead from the mainstream stuff you've watched. All we have here is one AMC (where THS works) or a second AMC and a Regal if I want to venture a hour away. All of them use it, so... Every once in a while I'll get an itch for a change of scenery and there's always somewhere around I can find a movie playing and that's western Indiana/Eastern Illinois.

I also had the service about a year before it was bought out at $30 a month and it was worth it until they literally raised the price to $100 a month if I wanted to continue. Over these two periods of time I've definitely seen some garbage, but also come across some excellent stuff I'd never have considered. It's a big reason why I'm up to 125 titles watched from 2017. That and when I found out how easy it is to order stuff ahead of time from the library.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by numbersix »

W wrote: It's a big reason why I'm up to 125 titles watched from 2017.
Woah, that's almost at Chien levels.

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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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Buscemi2 wrote:You seriously want me to sit through Midnight Sun or The Snowman just to make your unlimited service worth it?
Yes. That's actually part of the terms and conditions.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by Buscemi2 »

Tonight's rep screening...

Image

Another no-budget wonder from the East, presented in a new 4K restoration that was the basis for the recent Arrow Blu-ray. Frank Henenlotter's guerilla-style (as in, he shot the entire film without permits) gorefest has never looked better. The film was released without a rating for a reason (it would have certainly been rated X in 1982) but it's also a fascinating film while also bringing in the shock value. It shouldn't come as a surprise that it was a popular midnight movie in its day.

Also shown were too many trailers to count (lots of horror and genre films, plus First Reformed for some reason).
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by Chienfantome »

numbersix wrote:
W wrote: It's a big reason why I'm up to 125 titles watched from 2017.
Woah, that's almost at Chien levels.
Indeed he's on the right track to end up like me. Careful, W ;)
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by Buscemi2 »

49 so far this year. A good half are classics.

And I found out that next month, an original 35mm print of Teen Wolf is showing. I wasn't going to go (I watched this al the time as a kid but didn't understand why it was a Terror Tuesday title) but then I saw it was a print from the AFGA. So when they get the ticketing back up, I'll make sure to see everyone's favorite 5'4" time traveler surf on a van.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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Today, I got to see a rare screening of

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(rare because Disney rarely allows for rep screenings of their films)

And on the big screen, Roger Deakins' cinematography really shines (this is also an example of digital intermediate done right, before Wes Anderson's unnaturally orange The Royal Tenenbaums caused it go from one extreme to another or David Fincher-patented "none more black"). And I wish The Coen Brothers would make a George Nelson biopic.

With the Coen Brothers series nearly over (the last, No Country for Old Men, is one I've already seen in a theatre), I'm hoping someone here shows Miller's Crossing and the restored Barton Fink (Kino Lorber got theatrical rights a while back and have new DCP's made) one of these days.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by Buscemi2 »

Tonight's rep screening...

Image

This movie did not hold up at all. It was already cheese but some cinematic cheese can be good cheese. This, on the other hand, doesn't work other than a few funny moments. Stiles is a jerk who's supposed to be likeable, the love triangle has no purpose (just set up Scott with Boof early on and you've got a better movie), and the basketball scenes are some of the worst I've ever seen (notice that both a jump ball and a backcourt violation should have been called in the scene where Scott becomes Teen Wolf on the backcourt).

Sometimes, childhood nostalgia should just be left alone. Also, I'm not surprised that MTV ignored the tone of the film when they redid for TV.

Shown with the film were the generic 80's pre-show provided by Alamo Drafthouse (hey, at least it's not musical numbers with no context and random Estonian commercials) and a few trailers (Bridesmaids, Best F(r)iends Vol. 1 & 2, A.X.L., Kin, and Alpha).
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by Buscemi2 »

Tonight's rep screening...

Image

The Drafthouse booked a series of gay-themed films for Pridefest here and when I saw this was coming, I had to get myself a ticket. Perhaps the closest the 90's ever came to getting their own Rocky Horror, Stephan Elliott's road movie is a charming buddy picture with three excellent leads, some Oscar-winning costume design, and a feel-good premise that's both infectious and informative. This is a film that needs to be watched with an audience (the people in my row did their own commentary during the movie but it was entertaining rather than distracting, I have a feeling I'll be seeing them again for Film Club on Friday) and it's a lot better than the jukebox musicals that came later. And how didn't Terence Stamp get any Oscar talk back in 1994? Sure, it was Hanks vs. Travolta that year but still.

Also shown were four trailers (Women Who Kill, Eighth Grade, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, and Bohemian Rhapsody).

Edit: after the movie, I saw Greg Sestero signing autographs and taking pictures with patrons (he was showing Best F(r)iends Vol. 1). The line to meet him was too long but I got a picture of him on my phone. He's just as good looking in person as he is on screen.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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Tonight's movie wasn't exactly a rep screening but it was a film that wasn't necessarily new. Women Who Kill, a film that was released last summer but only now came for two shows only, was seen tonight with the director in attendance. It's hard to say this but I didn't really care for the film. It was too slowly paced (the director cited the Coen Brothers and Woody Allen as influences but it ended up feeling like a slightly-better Joe Swanberg), the humor was misplaced, and the end result was flat and uninteresting. In addition, the killer and her daughter are far more interesting characters but the focus laid on the dull podcasters (one played by the director) and their relationship. Maybe I was expecting something else from the title but it should have been more exciting than it was.

The Q&A was interesting, most notably over how it's almost impossible to sell a film about lesbianism to a distributor (FilmRise eventually released the film months after its premiere). The fact that it essentially boils down to "does it has a steamy sex scene" shows that the industry still has so much to learn about both women and the gay community.

In addition, four trailers (Gosford Park, A Star is Born, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody) were shown.

Up next: Taxi Driver in 35mm.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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Tonight's rep screening...

Image

The screening was supposed to be in 35mm but the print was apparently damaged so only the first reel was shown (the rest was through a Blu-ray backup). The print looked nice (it seems to have been from the 1996 reissue) but the audio was very buzzy and dropped out a few times. I can't say I'm surprised that the backup was needed, especially if the other reels were in worse shape.

I'd never noticed until now that despite the summertime setting, this is a very cold film. Scorsese and cinematographer Michael Chapman use dark colors (lots of blue, black, and pale colors) to convey the mood of Travis's declining mental sense and the New York of the era. And Paul Schrader might be the best writer of the antihero (his dialogue is excellent as well). Unlike many of today's films in which the screenwriter or director attempts to get you to like characters that can't be loved, Schrader succeeds beyond his wildest expectations. In this world where you can't really trust anyone, he and Scorsese really get you to care about Travis. AFI called him one of the great villains but he might be more heroic than a lot of the people that populate the city in the film.

And one thing that I never noticed before: Sport's real name is Charles Rain. Charles Rain was the protagonist of Rolling Thunder, a film also written by Paul Schrader.

In addition, three trailers were shown (Mile 22, The Equalizer II, The Sisters Brothers) were included.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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Today's rep screening...

Image

A different side of 70's New York, told by Spike Lee (based partially on the childhood of himself and his siblings). Unlike the grimness of Taxi Driver, this is a very colorful film and for Lee, a very lighthearted one. Though not as well-known as Do the Right Thing or Malcolm X, this also stands as one of his better films and probably one of the better coming-of-age films of the 90's. Even if you didn't grow up in Brooklyn with five siblings in 1973, you can find something to relate to in the events told (the buffalo nickel scene reminded me of a time when I tried to take some half-dollars from my dad, you can figure out what happened next).

Also, the decision to shoot to the Virginia scenes with anamorphic lenses and then squeeze them into 1.85 to create a feeling of alienation was genius. I'm surprised some independent genre filmmaker hasn't tried this idea.

Three trailers were shown in addition (BlacKkKlansman, Beast, and Won't You Be My Neighbor?).
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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Tonight's rep screening: Coming to America.

Good morning, my neighbors!

Turning 30 on Friday, Coming to America was brought back for one show only. And this film further proves that 80's Eddie was Eddie at his best. A classic example of the high concept premise, the film was not only an excellent example of mining humor from the fish-out-of-water premise but allowed Murphy to stretch his acting range. We all know that he was nominated for an Oscar for Dreamgirls, but here is perhaps where he gave his best performance.

And nearly everything works. The cast, the characters (this was the first film where Eddie played multiple characters), the art direction and costume design, the gags, John Landis's direction, the film quite the spectacle. You don't really see these big budget comedies where the money is on the screen anymore. Maybe lightning can strike twice with the planned Coming 2 America.

In addition, three trailers (Night School, BlacKkKlansman, Sorry to Bother You) were shown.
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