Monthly Archives: March 2018

Movies

About those Oscars, redux…

So word comes that the 2018 Oscars didn’t do that well, ratings-wise.

As usual, our “President” decided to make an issue of it (he’s nothing if not content to make everything about him) and was promptly slammed by its host, Jimmy Kimmel but, frankly, this is side-issue stuff.

The thing that intrigues me is the fact that the Oscar rating are down and, like our “President”, I’m going to make it about me…

(Sorta) Kidding!

I noted when I first wrote about the Oscars (you can read that here) the following:

I missed the whole thing.  Like, everything.  I knew it was on.  I usually catch at least a minute or two here and there.

The bottom line, though, was that I completely and totally missed the whole thing.

I opined that maybe my lack of interest in seeing the Oscars was related to the movies that were being honored and in the running.  I certainly think this is a pretty big factor.

But there’s another thing: Times change and what was once an interesting event can become something that simply isn’t all that interesting anymore.

There was a time that roadside parades were a HUGE thing in cities.  Perhaps they still are in many of them.  But I don’t think they’re as popular as they were.

Movies, too, have changed, at least in the way we see them.

Used to be we’d see them in theaters and, at least when I was much younger, I was incredibly eager to see what was about to be released and what I could catch.  Nowadays, and because things get to be so damn busy, I’m lucky if I find the time to catch them.  Further, if I do miss the films in theaters, all I have to do is wait a few months and -voila- the movie becomes available on home video.

Suddenly, seeing a new film in theaters during its release isn’t such a big deal anymore.

There are, of course, exceptions to this.  The recently released (and big hit) Black Panther was eagerly anticipated by many before its release and people are flocking to theaters to see it.  Same, a little before that, with The Last Jedi.

Nonetheless I would argue such movies are increasingly becoming the exception rather than the rule.

The last film I saw in theaters, Game Night, I didn’t know anything about until I read the review of it in my local paper on the day of its release!  And I didn’t know about it because, I suspect, I didn’t actively look around at what films were coming out.

In effect, I didn’t much care about films being released and figured I’d read about them as they come out.

Could this indifference extend to things related to movies, such as Oscars?

Obviously, what I’m musing about here is my own personal experiences/opinions, but I can’t help but wonder if others don’t feel the same thing.

Times do, as I mentioned before, have a way of changing things.

Movies

Zack Snyder’s Justice League, part deux

A few days ago (you can read it here), I wondered about the increasing appearances and statements coming from director Zack Snyder via his Vero account concerning his film Justice League.

The film is about to be released on home video, so one might be forgiven in thinking he’s trying to get people excited to buy the film.

Not so.

As I mentioned in that previous post and for those living under a rock until now, Zack Snyder left work on Justice League some six months before the movie’s release.  His adopted daughter had committed suicide and, he stated, he couldn’t continue doing this work.  Thus the film was completed by Joss Whedon and this was the version that was released to theaters.  Mr. Snyder, it should be noted, kept a very low profile through all this and though the theatrically released film had his name on it as director, he attended no promotions or red carpet affairs.  Further, he even noted at one point after the movie’s release that he hadn’t seen it.

To those who saw Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zack Snyder’s previous film leading into Justice League, it was quite clear that Mr. Whedon made considerable changes before Justice League was released.  While I liked the film overall, I nonetheless could tell that Justice League was more of a Whedon work, in the end, than a Snyder work.

Since then, fans of Mr. Snyder’s work have clamoured for the release of “his” version of the film versus the one that was released to theaters.

The big question is: Is there an actual Zack Snyder “cut” of the film?

In that previous blog post, I noted Warner Brothers eventually released a “Donner Cut” of Superman II.  This despite the fact that Mr. Donner didn’t actually finish making that film back in the late 1970’s.

Unlike Mr. Donner, Mr. Snyder completed all principle photography of Justice League.  He was working on some reshoots when he left the film but rumor has it a three hour “cut” of the film assembled before he departed.  How complete -or good- the cut was is the question.

Regardless, several days have passed since my original posting and if nothing else, it appears that more and more people are thinking that Mr. Snyder is hinting at an existing “Snyder Cut” of the film.

Over at polygon.com Julia Alexander wrote the following article, which examines that building feeling people have that just maybe there is something to the rumors:

Fans are convinced Zack Snyder is using an app to tease Justice League Snyder Cut

One of the arguments made against Snyder’s Cut of Justice League ever appearing is that he didn’t complete the work or that there are too many effects to be done or something along those lines.

However, I will repeat: A “Donner Cut” of Superman II was eventually released to home video even though by the time Mr. Donner was fired from the movie he stated he had filmed only some 60% of it.

Again: Zach Snyder completed all principle photography.  He was working on reshoots when he left the project.  Further, it appears many of the effects were indeed completed, at least based on early trailers for the film which feature scenes that were not included in Joss Whedon’s cut:

And here’s a more detailed examination of some of the scenes found in the trailer or mentioned by cast yet didn’t appear in the film:

There most certainly is work to be done if a “Snyder Cut” of the film is to be released, but I strongly suspect if Warner Brothers/DC allows it, we will eventually get it.

As I stated before, my only hope is that it won’t take 26 years, the length of time before the “Donner Cut” of Superman II was released, before we see it.

Movies

The risks of movie-making…

It’s fair to say that one of the more popular actors around is Jennifer Lawrence.  For several years, she’s starred in films that have been both critical and commercial darlings.

However, if there’s one thing that one realizes is that as incredible as it is to see someone reach the proverbial tip of the mountain in their career, there is always the danger, and possibility, that the stay there is short lived.

The other day Ms. Lawrence was being interviewed on the Howard Stern Show.  I have the Stern Show on my Sirius radio subscription and though in the past I followed it of late I have not.

(Quick random thought: The first time I heard the Howard Stern Show was waaaaaaay back in/around 1985 and I found it bold and incredibly funny.  Years later and before he moved to Sirius, his show appeared on a local radio and I listed to it now and again and found it was still quite good, especially when interviewing celebrities.  When he moved to Sirius, I checked him out now and again and, as before, I still really like his celebrity interviews.  This, more than the controversial aspects about him, is IMHO his grand forte)

So the other day I clicked on the show while Ms. Lawrence was being interviewed and stuck around to hear what she had to say.

She struck me as someone well aware of her status in the entertainment industry, even noting at one point that she realizes her success is a limited thing.

She was on the show promoting her latest film, Red Sparrow, which was released last week and, while not a bust, looks to be at best like it will be a mild/moderate money-maker.  However, this film follows the very controversial -and not very successful- mother! which in turn followed the successful (at least at the box-office) film Passengers.  That film, though, was met with controversy due to its plot, which essentially took the protagonist’s highly questionable actions and somehow tried to make them look “cute” in a romantic way.

Regardless and despite the financial success of that film, I strongly suspect there are few today who would point to Passengers as some great Jennifer Lawrence vehicle.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if that winds up being one of those films that gets, for the most part, forgotten in time.

mother!, on the other hand, has its defenders but they seem to be very few.  What is unquestionable, however, is that the film was a box-office bust and Red Sparrow, which looks to do a little better, nonetheless looks to be far from a blockbuster.

Rich Juzwiak at themuse.com noted the last films Ms. Lawrence has been involved in and asks:

How many more risks like Red Sparrow can Jennifer Lawrence’s career afford?

Sadly, I think his question is quite legitimate.  As good and successful as Ms. Lawrence -or any currently big name entertainer- has been, there is always the risk that if you deliver works that either don’t interest audiences or, even worse, turn them off, your high flying star may come crashing down.

In the 1970’s, Burt Reynolds was one of the biggest movie stars out there.  Smokey and the Bandit, released the same year as that little, now forgotten film Star Wars (I kid, obviously!) was second in terms of box office take.

But Mr. Reynolds made some bad choices going into the 1980’s, the biggest of which was reportedly rejecting the role of Garret Breedlove in the very well received/Oscar winning film Terms of Endearment -a role that went to Jack Nicholson- in favor of starring in the box-office and critical bust Stroker Ace.  He reportedly took the later role as a favor to its director Hal Needham, who had directed Mr. Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit.

From that point on, Mr. Reynold’s career spiraled further and further downward and one notes that Ms. Lawrence, though perhaps not quite at that level of danger, nonetheless may be wise to consider her next roles.

Then again, I highly doubt Ms. Lawrence entered any of those films thinking they would ultimately end up as they did.  That’s the great unknown regarding doing works of art.

What might be a big success on paper might result in a big failure when all is said and done.

Movies

About yesterday’s Oscars…

1 Comment

…I missed the whole thing.

Like, everything.

I knew it was on.  I usually catch at least a minute or two here and there.  But this time around?

I know, I know.  I’m sounding like that cranky old “get off my lawn” guy.  But the truth’s the truth: I haven’t seen any of the films nominated for best picture, though I did pick up the digital copy, via VUDU as it was on sale, of Dunkirk.  Alas, I haven’t had the time to watch it as of yet.

Here’s the cold hard reality of my situation: I haven’t seen any of the films on the major lists nor am I all that interested in seeing them.  A good friend of mine highly recommended the big winner of last night’s Oscars, The Shape of Water, but I dunno.  As I said, I have Dunkirk but I’m not in a huge rush to see it.

Enough, though, of the negativity.  Author Sam Adams over on Slate.com points out one of the better stories coming out of the Oscars, something even a crumudgeon like me could appreciate:

Roger Deakins broke one of Oscar’s longest losing streaks

The above mentioned Mr. Deakins, as it should be obvious from the article’s title, won an Oscar last night for his cinematography on the film Blade Runner 2049.  Mr. Deakins, as the article further notes, was previously nominated in this category a whopping 13 times between 1995 and 2017 and, as Mr. Adams further notes, in 2008 he was nominated for best cinematographer twice.  It goes without saying but until last night, he hadn’t won for any of those nominations.

Unlike the best picture nominees, I have actually seen Blade Runner 2049 and, though I feel the film was too bloated for its own good, there is absolutely NOTHING negative I have to say about the look of the film and the cinematography.  Indeed, it is quite brilliant and worthy of the adulation it has received.

Good going, Mr. Deakins.  This cranky old man totally agrees you deserved this Oscar… even if he hasn’t seen too many of the other nominated films.

E. R. Torre Art

Sketchin’ 53

After doing as many of these pieces as I have, sometimes it takes a while to figure out which celebrity to take on next.

And sometimes inspiration comes to you instead of you looking for it.

Over on Turner Classic Movies they were playing the charming, romantic, and suspenseful 1963 film Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, a film I’ve seen countless times and could see countless others. Known by many as the best Alfred Hitchcock film Alfred Hitchcock didn’t make, the film features a spectacular turn by Ms. Hepburn, who is at her charismatic best playing the freshly widowed Regina Lambert. Her husband, she finds only after he’s gone, was likely involved in hiding nearly a quarter of a million dollars stolen during the late stages of WWII.

At the man’s funeral, strange characters appear out of the woodwork, including Cary Grant -quite wonderful- as a man who may or may not have her interests at heart. The film also boasts early appearances by Walter Matthau, James Coburn, and George Kennedy. It’s a great film and, unfortunately, was re-made, not well at all, in 2002 as The Truth About Charlie.

Stick with the original and forget the remake was ever made.

And now, Ms. Hepburn…

General

By all that’s holy…

I will give Trump this much credit: By having so many catastrophic-sounding things happening in one day, as a voter one is so overwhelmed it’s hard to focus on any one thing!

For the record, among other things we’ve had happen is: Longtime aid Hope Hicks -who many thought would be the last one to leave Trump’s side- resigns one day after a grueling congressional testimony session, its finally made clear that Mueller’s investigation is going directly after Trump, there was a meeting with Senators regarding gun control and Trump noted -among other things!- he would go after guns (I can’t help but chuckle about this one… it made many a pro-NRA people/Republicans’ heads explode), Trump goes after Sessions (I suppose this is low hanging fruit), Kushner’s security status downgraded -it was announced his family received perhaps billions of dollars in loans from foreign run companies- and people are now wondering what’s still keeping him there and why he hasn’t resigned…

What else?

I feel like I’m missing a couple hundred things!

There is, however, one thing I find a positive development: It appears the massacre at Parkland, the latest example of one person with a weapon of war killing far too many people, looks like it finally –finally!– has moved the needle regarding awareness of, and perhaps lowering tolerance for, assault weapons.

To date, many companies have reacted, from no longer giving discounts to the NRA for their services to Dick’s Sporting Goods stating they will no longer sell such weapons while Walmart stated they will no longer sell weapons or ammo to anyone under 21 years of age.

Some have noted Dick’s barely do sell assault weapons to begin with so this might be more of a PR move but, given their public statement, I do believe its a brave thing to do.  Same with Walmart.  I use neither company all that much, but I do salute their moves.