Still 'Unhinged' about moviegoing. What did you see at home?
Monday, August 24, 2020 at 12:26PM 
Some websites are choosing to not cover theatrical releases while it's still unsafe to go to theaters. We're undecided. On the one hand everyone should be free to make their own life decisions and you can't live without risk of any kind. On the other hand, Americans have been exceptionally stupid and belligerent about taking needless risks and demanding that their individual comfort (like not wearing a mask or getting their haircut or whatever) trumps everyone else's actual life.
Of course in other countries that have not had total grifter clowns in power, they've been able to start the trek back to normal. Sadly until the GOP and their enablers -- a much worse threat to the safety of everyone on the planet than the coronavirus -- are out of power, we're probably stuck in this abnormal hellscape for awhile still.
Anyway, the box office story is that the new Russell Crowe road rage drama Unhinged made $4 million this weekend in the US. That's a huge number considering how many theaters are a) still shut down and b) selling only half their seats in order to comply with distancing guidelines.
Most of us are still watching movies indoors for the time being. For instance, we finally watched The Assistant (2020) on Hulu. It was good though surely its pin drop sound and growing discomfort would have been more immersive and, thus, effective inside the dark quiet cocoon of a movie theater. So what did you see at home this past week?
Reader Comments (29)
Nice way to sneak “Trump” into the article. Lol. Well done
I watched
Midnight Run with De Niro
Venom with Oliver Reed
Trapped with Charlize Theron
A most wanted man with Philip Seymour Hoffman
Devil's Advocate with Al & Keanu
Relic with Emily Mortimer
Virus * Halloween H20 both with Jamie Lee Curtis
I watched Host, the takes-place-on-Zoom horror movie that I'd been hearing a lot of buzz about. Verdict: Meh! I thought it was basically a not-very-inspired mix of Paranormal Activity and Unfriended. I mean, it was *ok*, but never hit that Zeitgeist button for me (though it certainly had that potential). Otherwise finally finished S1 of Ozark and def plan to hit seasons 2 & 3 soon. Lastly, halfway through Jezebel, and plan to then watch the other four 1938 Smackdown films.
Robert Altman's STREAMERS. It's still amazing, still likely to get the same criticisms it always did (that it's overwrought, basically), but in some ways it's ahead of it's time: The ways in which race and sexuality intersect in the various characters, the ways in which even gay men can be invested in the erotics of a toxic masculinity, etc. Deserves a reappraisal. The acting is Ingmar Bergman level good.
Finally saw 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always.' I liked it a lot, but similar to 'The Assistant,' I would have preferred it in a theater. Something about home viewing isn't for me. I get too distracted and feel restless, like I should be doing something more productive? At least when I'm in the theater, I'm out of my house, often with a friend, and it feels more like an activity than being home in front of the TV.
Anyway, I'm still not going to the theater anytime soon.
Only repeat viewings of a couple of blu rays this weekend. But Tenet opens in the UK in 2 days so very excited to be heading to my local multiplex (with mask & social distancing obviously).
-Idiot’s Delight (1939),
-The Go-Go’s (Showtime Documentary)-Really surprised you think back and realize that their 1st album was a whirlpool of punk rock, new wave, girl group vibes, surf music and polished pop at its best. They really deserve a ‘Jersey Boys’ type ‘jukebox musical.’ Open Broadway back up!
-Inception (2010) in anticipation in returning to the movies to finally see Tenet (it’ll now probably be pushed back to December 2024), thought I’d revisit this Nolan film. Understood it a little bit better. Kind’ve made a little more sense after reading the Wikipedia synopsis. In no hurry to race for a 3rd viewing anytime soon. I do appreciate how Nolan uses his actors again for future projects.
-Batman Begins (2005)-Since Chicago is being destroyed by its Mayor, thought I’d revisit the 1st Nolan film made with the downtown bridges up and the city in peril. Hated this ‘Yoda’ film the first time I viewed it mostly because of the Katie Holmes/Tom Cruise love affair of the ages overshadowed the entire film. Rewatching it, to me, she still remains the weakest link. It’s a Smackdown mystery to me why this role was given to Rachel Weisz (filming Constant Gardner?) Filmed in England & Chicago, It’s like 80% of the principal cast is English (Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Tom Wilkinson, Cillian Murphy (Irish?), Gary Oldman, Linus Roche, Rutger Hauer, the boy King from Game Of Thrones (!). KH just doesn’t cut it for me.
I have IMAX tickets for Tenet on Thursday. I CAN NOT WAIT.
I watched Farewell, My Concubine and The Queen. While watching both, but especially the Queen, I wished to be watching them in a theater. The hardest thing about this time is how many films need to be seen on the big screen.
A first-timer in Leave No Trace and a re-watch of Boomerang. Not going back to the movie theaters until a vaccine is available.
I watched the most recent Halloween. Maybe my expectations were too high but holy crap that well seems dry. Jamie Lee Curtis is always a delight but otherwise mostly a slog. How will they get 2 more movies out of this franchise? However i did learn that Toby Huss & Dennis O’Hare are 2 different people from watching it.
I also rewatched eXistenZ & The Sound of Music Live.
I probably watched way too much the last few days:
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (5th time)
Roma (2nd time)
Howard Ashman doc on D+
Little Mermaid
Bringing Up Baby
Misery
Certain Women (love love loved this!)
...and started re-watching The Good Place
And, I'm inspired by Dan up there to go watch Streamers again. Been meaning to for awhile.
My top ten films of last week were:
1. Alexander Nevsky
2. Into the West
3. Holiday (38)
4. Born Free
5. Boystown
6. Vice & Virtue
7. Dave
8. Destiny
9. Jezebel
10. Losing Ground
Essentially, my banisters were leaving streaming on the left and the 1938 Smackdown on the right.
@Choog: 100% everything you said. I adore JLC but migod will they ever just let that damned series die already. They've made god knows how many sequels and reboots since 1978 and guess what? there hasn't been a single one that's come even close to the original! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'm streaming Parks and Recreation every day until the election. Knope 2020
Watched "Relic" and it was deeply unsettling, especially having dealt with an aging parent with dementia.
Our online movie club watched The Heiress, 1949. Many had never seen it and everyone adored it. Olivia directed by Wyler--sigh.
Oooh - I watched The Assistant a couple weeks back and loved it!
I had a really good week of first time views! Wings, The Broadway Melody, Modern Times, The Great Dictator. Wings is really special - the dogfight battles still really hold up and the tragic ending destroyed me.
Showed my boyfriend Vertigo for the first time. There was a lot of "oh my god" and "no way" It's an unbelievable movie and I enjoyed watched it and watching him react to it. Since he has worked in lighting and costumes he committed on the color green and how it keeps showing up. Madeleine drives a green car and judy's apartment is bathed in green light. They are both also wearing green when Scottie first sees them.
Also watched Hold Back the Dawn as it was Olivia de Haviland day in TCM but Paulette Goddard walked away with that movie. Her career should have been bigger and needs to be examined more.
@chasm301 I was so surprised by how much I loved Wings too, and yes, the ending! One of the most moving film endings, right up there with Coco and Paddington 2!
chasm & kelly -- yay. I LOVE wings. One of my fav silents for sure. A great first Best Picture winner. I'm not sure where it's non-stellar reputation started because it holds up.
I saw Unhinged on Thursday, Train to Busan Presents Peninsula on Friday and The Burnt Orange Heresy on Saturday. The first two were ridiculous, while at least ogling Clause Bang was not a bad time in the latter. I’ve been reading TFE since its early days and am glad to contribute financially. That being said, I’m tiring of film folks on the coasts essentially shaming people who dare consider going to the cinema. I get it, instead of getting films early you aren’t getting them at all so without the option how can you know? Also, when I went to see TBOH, I was the only person in the theatre yet I still wore a mask the whole time (as I have each time) I live in Atlanta, yes I hate Brian Kemp, in fact i had a mask made that reads FUCK BRIAN KEMP but the cinema is my church (I go three times a week) and considering actual churches are open, I’m gonna go.
So yeah I’ve been to see 21 films since going to see The High Note at the end of May and I’ve gotten concessions to go because I want going to the movies to survive. Anyway, I’m glad I got to see Goodfellas, Vertigo and Chinatown among others on the big screen. Looking forward to seeing The Personal History of David Copperfield Thursday and Tenet one week from today. Long lice the cinema :)
Sole (2019), Carlo Sironi
A beautifully-realised drama of two lost souls engaged in transactional make-believe love in a contemporary Italian urban anyplace. I was bowled how this small-scale film could conjure a constellation of emotions from me. A young pregnant Polish girl (a Michelle Pfeiffer lookalike) decides to give up her unborn baby to a childless Italian couple for a fee but she had to go through an elaborate plan where she co-habits with an aimless relative of the couple as though they are the parents of the unborn child. When the baby is born, she is to abandon the 'father' and child, and the 'father' is to ask the Italian authorities that he can't take care of the baby and can my uncle and his wife who do not have a baby of their own, adopt the baby instead? But things don't always work out ideally especially when it is complicated by glimmers of attraction and possibly true love that start to manifest between the two young people who are supposed to stick to the script and follow the plan to the letter. As society's economic refugees, what options do they have? This debut from Carlo Sironi managed to coax heartbreakingly minimalist performances from the two leads that also effectively pulled at my emotional heartstrings. There was this scene late in the film when Sole (the baby) was crying non-stop and the inexperienced 'father' instinctually did all he could to change diapers as correctly as possible, and I remembered being in that situation and know the sight and smell and feel of it. I remember doing that to a beautiful alien satellite of a baby and how the experience was a mixture of dread and love. My thoughts at that time were: please let me climb a very steep mountain, translate anything to Hebrew and old French, wash everyone's car in the neighborhood -- anything but this. But then when you're done with the task and the baby laughs (as it did in the film), it is like sublime sublime music. Sironi's film evoked that to me. The film ended with a violent, no-dialogue confrontation that is as much like fighting for love than anything else. Maybe I'll have a different opinion of this film someday but it just hit me right there at that time when I watched it (one very early morning).
Bagdad Café (1987), Percy Adlon
While tinkering with music in the last few weeks, I came across a plaintive and haunting song called "Calling You" by Jevetta Steele. I found out it was a song used in a film called Bagdad Café so I rented the film. This is a charming and offbeat tale of an unlikely friendship between a Bavarian visitor and a black American hotel/café owner in a windswept tiny community somewhere in the Mojave desert, peopled by quirky characters whose colorful personalities are in stark contrast to the barren landscape. The film effectively played on the dissonance of Brenda and Jasmin played by CCH Pounder and Marianne Sägebrecht that is helped no doubt by the actresses' very different style of acting, among other things.The film itself has an air of being filmed by a non-native which works perfectly in the overall emotional and tonal architecture of the story. Both Sägebrecht and Pounder were delightful to watch even when the film goes from awkward to more awkward territory. Jack Palance has a supporting role as a desert Lothario and I can't decide whether it's his character or the actor himself who gave me the creeps. Bob Telson's score brought sweet melancholy to the story and Jevetta Steele's voice wafting through the desert is a haunting reminder of love that can triumph anywhere and overcome anything really.
Voice Without a Shadow (1958) Seijun Suzuki
A noir-ish mystery/thriller about a telephone operator haunted by a voice she heard on the telephone that may have something to do with the criminal violence that happened after that. I like how the film managed to bring noir essentials to the story: a virtuous wife, a femme-fatale, a detective, and a twisty and rather convoluted plot. Music has a Sirkian vibe with hōgaku undertones. The camera angles, framing, b&w cinematography are all aces that all contributed to the Grand Guignol descent towards the end. This convincingly acted tale was helped by the onscreen chemistry of Yôko Minamida and Hideaki Nitani as the telephone operator and private eye respectively. I like how the sparks of attraction between the two leads (possibly one-sided?) lingered throughout the story and you kept wondering if the story will explore that angle in the end.
on a cold rainy locked in saturday i watched a cheery double feature of mental breakdowns: 'the swimmer' and 'the pumpkin eater'
and on sunday i killed myself
[actually, i watched the mindless 'eurovision: fire saga' and the the uplifting 'mucho mucho amor' to reset]
Saw TENET. Really good (whilst not "Oscar nominations outside of tech categories" good, like MEMENTO, THE DARK KNIGHT, INCEPTION and DUNKIRK).) Marketed as similar to INCEPTION, but actually has more in common with MEMENTO.
I saw Unhinged on Thursday, Train to Busan Presents Peninsula on Friday and The Burnt Orange Heresy on Saturday. The first two were ridiculous, while at least ogling Clause Bang was not a bad time in the latter. I’ve been reading TFE since its early days and am glad to contribute financially. That being said, I’m tiring of film folks on the coasts essentially shaming people who dare consider going to the cinema. I get it, instead of getting films early you aren’t getting them at all so without the option how can you know? Also, when I went to see TBOH, I was the only person in the theatre yet I still wore a mask the whole time (as I have each time) I live in Atlanta, yes I hate Brian Kemp, in fact i had a mask made that reads FUCK BRIAN KEMP but the cinema is my church (I go three times a week) and considering actual churches are open, I’m gonna go.
So yeah I’ve been to see 21 films since going to see The High Note at the end of May and I’ve gotten concessions to go because I want going to the movies to survive. Anyway, I’m glad I got to see Goodfellas, Vertigo and Chinatown among others on the big screen. Looking forward to seeing The Personal History of David Copperfield Thursday and Tenet one week from today. Long lice the cinema :)
I will 4th the thumbs up on Wings. We were pleasantly surprised at how good it was. We'd been told how it would be a chore to sit through and it really wasn't. After All Quiet on the Western Front it's easily the best of the early Best Picture winners.
Finally watched ATOMIC BLONDE which was fun, and BURDEN which I wasn’t sure about that first but it ended up pulling me in. Andrea Riseborough needs to be in more films!
Was a bit of a troll here a few years back. But i have no one else to share this with. I just have 99 O nominated films to go—excluding doc and shorts, of which i have seen my share. Passed the 100 threshold today with 1991 Madame Bovary in Azerbaijani. No, I don’t know the language but the movie was nominated for costumes and I ate them up. La Huppert is as beautiful as any one has ever been at the movies in this picture. By the way, ok.ru has everything. If they don’t, after a few negative searches, it shows up. Has anybody heard weather this is a non ok streamer in spite of its name?