Yeah, it's good. Take the kids. Jack liked it a lot better than I did. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Wallace Shawn, and others reprise their voices and the all-star cast is filled out by Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, and many more.
Randy Newman once again provides the soundtrack.
Directed by Josh Cooley (his feature debut after co-writing Inside Out, which was a debut as well) with the new script by Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom (story by a big committee including all three).
Hanks was last blogged for The Post, Allen for Chimpanzee, Shawn for Book Club, Key for Don't Think Twice, Peele for acting in Keanu, Newman for The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected),
Jack is in the majority and I am not, as Rotten Tomatoes's critics' average is 97% and its audiences' 94. Streaming now.
We saw it July 3, 2019, before the downtown fireworks, just as we saw #3 in 2010.
Monday, October 28, 2019
The Dead Don't Die (2019)
Just the kind of sick and twisted comedy we love, this features small town police zombie-chasers Bill Murray, Adam Driver, and Chloë Sevigny with a notable cast of undead or doomed (including Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, many more) and narration by Tom Waits. You have to be okay with the violence to enjoy it as much as we did, but it's all played for laughs, directed and written by Jim Jarmusch. No composer is credited.
Murray was last blogged for Isle of Dogs, Driver for BlacKKKlansman, Sevigny for Love & Friendship (in which I referenced zombies, believe it or not), Swinton for Okja, Buscemi for Nancy, Waits for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and Jarmusch for Paterson, which also starred Driver.
Not very many people enjoyed this like we did. Rotten Tomatoes' critics average is 56% and its audiences' 38.
Yep, it's streaming now, four months after we saw it on June 25, 2019.
Murray was last blogged for Isle of Dogs, Driver for BlacKKKlansman, Sevigny for Love & Friendship (in which I referenced zombies, believe it or not), Swinton for Okja, Buscemi for Nancy, Waits for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and Jarmusch for Paterson, which also starred Driver.
Not very many people enjoyed this like we did. Rotten Tomatoes' critics average is 56% and its audiences' 38.
Yep, it's streaming now, four months after we saw it on June 25, 2019.
Shaft (2019)
We looked forward to seeing this sequel to the series and had fun, despite critics' dislike. Richard Roundtree returns as Shaft Sr., joined by Samuel L. Jackson as Jr. and Jessie T. Usher as III in the big cast, supported by Regina Hall and many more.
Directed by Tim Story from a screenplay by Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow, there are lots of great songs and in-jokes, including a reference to the fact that Jackson is sometimes mistaken for Laurence Fishburne and vice versa. It looks like there have been four Shaft movies before this, in 1971, 1972, 1973 (all with Roundtree), a Jackson version in 2000, and a Roundtree TV series in 1974-74.
Here's a partial list of songs. The soundtrack, however, is credited to Christopher Lennertz.
Roundtree was last blogged for What Men Want, Jackson for Spider-Man: Far from Home, Hall for Little, Barris for Girls Trip, and Lennertz for Bad Moms. Story directed Barbershop (2002), among others.
The aforementioned bad reviews from critics average 32% on Rotten Tomatoes but audiences clock in (mixed metaphor?) at 94%.
We saw it June 21, 2019, and it's now streaming at the usual outlets.
Directed by Tim Story from a screenplay by Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow, there are lots of great songs and in-jokes, including a reference to the fact that Jackson is sometimes mistaken for Laurence Fishburne and vice versa. It looks like there have been four Shaft movies before this, in 1971, 1972, 1973 (all with Roundtree), a Jackson version in 2000, and a Roundtree TV series in 1974-74.
Here's a partial list of songs. The soundtrack, however, is credited to Christopher Lennertz.
Roundtree was last blogged for What Men Want, Jackson for Spider-Man: Far from Home, Hall for Little, Barris for Girls Trip, and Lennertz for Bad Moms. Story directed Barbershop (2002), among others.
The aforementioned bad reviews from critics average 32% on Rotten Tomatoes but audiences clock in (mixed metaphor?) at 94%.
We saw it June 21, 2019, and it's now streaming at the usual outlets.
Aladdin (2019)
We enjoyed this live action (enhanced with effects!) version of the Disney animated movie and stage show with Will Smith as the genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, and Naomi Scott as Jasmine in the huge cast. Not high art, it's still an enjoyable spectacle. I particularly liked the royal parade.
Directed by Guy Ritchie from a script by him and John August.
The cast sings the songs from the original themselves, composed by Alan Menken with Howard Ashman or Tim Rice. Menken alone is credited for the score.
Smith was last blogged for Concussion, Ritchie for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and Menken, Rice, and the late Ashman for Beauty and the Beast (also adapted from a Disney movie and stage show).
Now streaming, this averages 57% from critics but 94 from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. We saw it June 5, 2019.
Directed by Guy Ritchie from a script by him and John August.
The cast sings the songs from the original themselves, composed by Alan Menken with Howard Ashman or Tim Rice. Menken alone is credited for the score.
Smith was last blogged for Concussion, Ritchie for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and Menken, Rice, and the late Ashman for Beauty and the Beast (also adapted from a Disney movie and stage show).
Now streaming, this averages 57% from critics but 94 from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. We saw it June 5, 2019.
Booksmart (2019)
Jack and I liked this funny and, yes, smart story of two nerdy girls cutting loose on their last day of high school. Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein are terrific, with good supporting roles by Jason Sudeikis and Lisa Kudrow, among others. Maya Rudolph is the motivational voice.
It's the feature directorial debut of actress Olivia Wilde, who cast her husband Sudeikis in her movie. Written by Emily Halpern & Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman.
DJ/producer Dan the Automator (Gorillaz, Handsome Boy Modelling School, Deltron 3030, Kool Keith, Got a Girl, Crudo) composed the score.
Dever was last blogged for Detroit, Feldstein (Jonah Hill's sister) for Lady Bird, and Fogel co-wrote The Spy Who Dumped Me.
After I wrote about Sudeikis in Colossal we saw him in two episodes of Detroiters, 16 of The Last Man on Earth, and Downsizing. I didn't write about Kudrow's one day's work in The Boss Baby. She had been working for five years before her 236 episodes of Friends (1994-2004), and during and after that she was in Romy & Michele's High School Reunion (1997), The Opposite of Sex (1997), Hanging Up (2000), Analyze This (1999) and Analyze That (2002), 24 episodes of Mad About You, dozens and dozens of webisodes and Showtime episodes of Web Therapy, 21 of The Comeback, three of Grace and Frankie, and three of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
It's the feature directorial debut of actress Olivia Wilde, who cast her husband Sudeikis in her movie. Written by Emily Halpern & Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman.
DJ/producer Dan the Automator (Gorillaz, Handsome Boy Modelling School, Deltron 3030, Kool Keith, Got a Girl, Crudo) composed the score.
Dever was last blogged for Detroit, Feldstein (Jonah Hill's sister) for Lady Bird, and Fogel co-wrote The Spy Who Dumped Me.
After I wrote about Sudeikis in Colossal we saw him in two episodes of Detroiters, 16 of The Last Man on Earth, and Downsizing. I didn't write about Kudrow's one day's work in The Boss Baby. She had been working for five years before her 236 episodes of Friends (1994-2004), and during and after that she was in Romy & Michele's High School Reunion (1997), The Opposite of Sex (1997), Hanging Up (2000), Analyze This (1999) and Analyze That (2002), 24 episodes of Mad About You, dozens and dozens of webisodes and Showtime episodes of Web Therapy, 21 of The Comeback, three of Grace and Frankie, and three of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Averaging 97% critics and 77 audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, it's now streaming on Amazon and other platforms. We saw it May 31, 2019.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Joker (2019)
Hard to watch but masterfully acted by Joaquin Phoenix, the future villain, misunderstood and bullied, descends to madness. It's a good movie. Phoenix's congenitally deformed shoulder is to his advantage in this role, as Joker is skinny and bent.
Supporting cast includes Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, and many more, with welcome cameos by Marc Maron and Brian Tyree Henry.
Directed by Todd Phillips from a script by Scott Silver. Though it's obviously based on the Batman comic books, Batman isn't in it, but the child, Bruce Wayne, who grows up to be Batman, is. Music by Hildur Guðnadóttir (an Icelandic woman).
Last blogged: Phoenix for You Were Never Really Here, De Niro for Joy, Beetz for Deadpool 2, Conroy for No Pay, Nudity, Maron for Sleepwalk with Me, Henry for Widows, Phillips for The Hangover Part II. Silver was Oscar-nominated for co-writing The Fighter.
There was a rumor that this movie glorified gun violence. It does nothing of the sort, though it is violent. Here's an analysis.
Rated 69% critics and 89% audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. We saw it October 11, 2019.
To my readers: This short version may be the new normal for babetteflix. I have over 20 movies in draft mode and will make an attempt to catch up on the writing without really slowing down on the watching!
Supporting cast includes Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, and many more, with welcome cameos by Marc Maron and Brian Tyree Henry.
Directed by Todd Phillips from a script by Scott Silver. Though it's obviously based on the Batman comic books, Batman isn't in it, but the child, Bruce Wayne, who grows up to be Batman, is. Music by Hildur Guðnadóttir (an Icelandic woman).
Last blogged: Phoenix for You Were Never Really Here, De Niro for Joy, Beetz for Deadpool 2, Conroy for No Pay, Nudity, Maron for Sleepwalk with Me, Henry for Widows, Phillips for The Hangover Part II. Silver was Oscar-nominated for co-writing The Fighter.
There was a rumor that this movie glorified gun violence. It does nothing of the sort, though it is violent. Here's an analysis.
Rated 69% critics and 89% audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. We saw it October 11, 2019.
To my readers: This short version may be the new normal for babetteflix. I have over 20 movies in draft mode and will make an attempt to catch up on the writing without really slowing down on the watching!
Judy (2019)
We liked a lot Renee Zellweger's spectacular performance as the desperate Ms. Garland towards the end of her life (1968). She sings well, though not just like Judy, and the costumes and sets are terrific.
In 1968 Garland's kids Joey and Lorna Luft were actually 14 and 16 and living with their father Sidney, which would invalidate the main thrust of the plot. So, remember, it's not a documentary.
Director Rupert Goold, screenplay by Tom Edge based on the stage play End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter. Music by Gabriel Yared.
Last blogged: Zellweger for My One and Only and Yared for Amelia.
Rotten Tomatoes 83% critics, 86 audiences.
We saw it October 1, 2019.
To my readers: This short version may be the new normal for babetteflix. I have over 20 movies in draft mode and will make an attempt to catch up on the writing without really slowing down on the watching!
In 1968 Garland's kids Joey and Lorna Luft were actually 14 and 16 and living with their father Sidney, which would invalidate the main thrust of the plot. So, remember, it's not a documentary.
Director Rupert Goold, screenplay by Tom Edge based on the stage play End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter. Music by Gabriel Yared.
Last blogged: Zellweger for My One and Only and Yared for Amelia.
Rotten Tomatoes 83% critics, 86 audiences.
We saw it October 1, 2019.
To my readers: This short version may be the new normal for babetteflix. I have over 20 movies in draft mode and will make an attempt to catch up on the writing without really slowing down on the watching!
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