Miscellaneous Movie Musings the Sequel

[Strangler Lewis]

I don't think they put all the funny parts in that trailer.

Saw "A Single Man" yesterday. An odd mix of fashion photography closeups and long conversations with not terribly sharp dialogue. Perhaps that's what life's supposed to be like in the film's view, but it doesn't make for great entertainment. Colin Firth was good though.

[Strangler Lewis]

I played a "Lord of the Rings" pinball machine today. It was oddly heavy and ponderous. I even came to resent the fact that it gave me five balls for my fifty cents.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Almost caught up with the Oscar potentials. Three more to go. Up is still my favorite by a long shot. Second year in a row with little that I really loved.

[mousepod]

Heather and I saw a bunch of the Oscar potentials recently, and the only two that I'd consider watching multiple times are Up and Inglourious Basterds. Still have several to go, though.

[Prudence]

We finally signed up for Netflix (don't judge!) and streamed some "His Girl Friday". Not sure how I felt about that one, really.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Prudence

We finally signed up for Netflix (don't judge!) and streamed some "His Girl Friday". Not sure how I felt about that one, really.

Oh, the joy of His Girl Friday is the ease and alacrity of the dialogue of Roz Russell and Cary Grant. One of Howard Hawks best, I think. Really, the film moves like lightening. Great, snappy and very biting dialogue and a message buried in there, too. I love this film.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Snowflake

Oh, the joy of His Girl Friday is the ease and alacrity of the dialogue of Roz Russell and Cary Grant. One of Howard Hawks best, I think. Really, the film moves like lightening. Great, snappy and very biting dialogue and a message buried in there, too. I love this film.

"She's no albino. She was born right here in this country."

[flippyshark]

In honor of the late Zelda Rubinstein, and because I've been wanting to for a while, I watched Poltergeist again for the first time in quite a while. It had been long enough that I had forgotten how many wonderful little touches there are in this movie. The big scares don't have the impact they used to, but the performances are wonderful, and I had a great time re-encountering some of my favorite things about this film:

- The early scene in which Carol Ann loads up Tweety's cigar box chokes me up every time. And the burial scene soon thereafter is very funny.
- My favorite little moment - Buzz the dog is in the master bedroom barking madly at the spot on the wall, then runs purposefully out of the room, returning moments later with his favorite squeaky toy.
- WTF is with that terrible edit between the kitchen scene and the awkward visit to the neighbors?!?
- Beatrice Straight is just wonderful as the sympathetic and nervous parapsychologist.
- The "midnight snack" scene is gratuitous but sensational. And really, was that guy actually going to fry himself up a steak in someone else's house in the middle of the night? How rude.
- Zelda Rubinstein is brilliant, funny and perfect.
- Emotionally, this movie is over about fifteen minutes before it really ends, but that last reel is still really fun frosting on the cake.
- It's impossible not to think about the early ill fates of Dominique Dunne and Heather O'Rourke. Beyond sad.
- Some rough edges, but this is a wonderful movie.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by flippyshark

In honor of the late Zelda Rubinstein, and because I've been wanting to for a while, I watched Poltergeist again for the first time in quite a while...

I always imagined that Steve Freeling's boss was the brother of the Mayor of Amity Island.

I love that movie.

I always thought the Steve and Diane were the coolest parents on Earth.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Having spent the last several months immersed in the comedy stylings of the likes of Patton Oswald and his fellow Comedy Death Ray crowd, we finally gave in to the repeated mentions of the movie Big Fan and got off our butts...wait, no, got on our butts...to add it to our instant Netflix Queue.

I was sadly a little disappointed. It was mostly a by-the-numbers indy film. Patton certainly delivered a solid performance of his character, there were definitely some priceless moments in there ("I don't like root beer!!!"), and the little bit of a twist at the end kept me guessing. But on the whole it lacked enough substance throughout to rise above the "great idea, adequate execution" level and at points risked losing my interest.