Movies (and occasionally face slaps) (Part 2)

That’s not really fair to my point. Some divergences make sense as part of the premise. This isn’t one of them. Anyway not a big deal and it makes sense for the character to struggle with sexual function, just not for the reasons he specified.

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It’s actually a quite cute lol.

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I was joking, but “the poor” actually did get some treatment in the film not long after the point at which I made that post so there’s that.

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Fair point. Maybe he was lying?

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Yeah I can see that. I thought it got way better in second half once my better half explained what was going on. I actually do think I will rewatch at some point, seems like one of those that might be better on rewatch.

The good-

  • We got to see Emma Stone in a way we have never seen her before. It was a very brave, breakout performance imo. Just wonderful! I could rewatch just for her I love her so much JFC gods I was strong then…where was I? Oh,

  • Mark Ruffalo was also magnificent, showed off his range well.

  • Dafoe GOAT obv.

  • one of my biggest peeves about Hollywood is how they constantly let the Colonialists come to our country and steal our acting jerbs when there are so many actual usa americans who don’t need to change their accents to sound like Arkansas sharecroppers or whatever. So it was highly refreshing to see four Americans playing Londoners (if a tad unconvincingly at times, Yousef seemed best/most consistent/most convincing). FU Charlie

  • production design, costumes, and cinematography were A++ wouldn’t be surprised to see this film walk away with both awards tomorrow

  • story raised some unlooked-for ethical dilemmas/questions which added to the viewing experience, though that may have actually been the entire point (see below)

The not so good

  • as already alluded, the musical choices are a head scratcher. It was the kind of music I would expect Yoko Ono to play after she lost her hearing. It wasn’t just that it was bad, it was that it often didn’t feel like it fit the scene. That it got a music-relation oscar nom is baffling to me. But I’m a music nit so that might not bother others like it does me.

  • it was clearly an arthouse project, which is fine, but at times it felt like they overdid it a bit. I mean I don’t have a problem necessarily with a director making their film the way they envision it. Their choices should (imho) be in furtherance of the movie though and some of them here felt tacked-on. For example, iirc like half the movie was in b&w and then at some point switched to color, but it didn’t seem connected to the movie in any way that I recall? like they didn’t wake up in Oz or push through the back of the wardrobe and stumble into Morder. It was just like, “Hey what does this button do?” click ah sweet you fixed the TV. Not too detrimental, just annoying to me perhaps

  • I understand that this is one of those where “the plot isn’t really the plot” and “you have to get the message to get the movie” but I still just can’t get over how Emma Stone’s character goes from basically an early-teen level intellect before leaving with Ruffalo (maybe less? the letters to God back home looked like a kindergartner wrote them), then starts gaining intellect and social graces at Neo from The Matrix rates from when they arrive in Portugal on. I mean, come on. Assuming this was set in the Victorian era (I’m still not sure when this is set) it just didn’t work like that even under ideal circumstances. I’m willing to suspend disbelief, but you’re pushing it here buddy.

  • Hello hooker with a heart of gold, been a while since I saw you last

Overall I’d say it was a good flick and I would recommend to friends and family, I will watch again to check out the stuff I missed and also for Emma Stone because good lord. I don’t think it wins BP this year but definitely not the worst of the nominees I’ve seen. But I’ve not seen them all yet.

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I can’t help but be pre-annoyed by the semi-likelihood that Emma is going to lose out on a deserving Oscar, and that it’s going to mark the second straight year of the best performance losing because the actress’s prior win is held against her.

I loved Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon, so I would like to rewire my brain during the next 24 hours so I can just be happy for her. I guess I’ve still got her recent Maron interview left to listen to in my podcast queue.

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I think it’s just bad writing lol

But if I had to give it credit, I’d say his trauma and many surgeries are the reason he struggles. He blames it on his castration, but we know that’s not how that works for sexual function.

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gonna try to get in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and ‘American Fiction’ in tonight

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Cool. See you in 6 hours.

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ikr Scorcese kills you with the runtimes

I thought the music fit really well. It was uncomfortable and grating at times which fit really well with the aesthetic of Godwin and Bella and the “pets”.

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I enjoyed the movie, but what bothered me far more was how sexual it was for someone who was supposed to have a mental age of a pre-teen. I know others have brought it up, but it’s really awful if you think about it for more than a few seconds.

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Wonka is a very strange movie. It ultimately ended up working for me, but I think it would have been a huge win with me if they’d stuck with the dichotomy of Wonka being caught between his imagined musical stuff against the real world just watching a dude hallucinating this stuff. But pretty soon the hallucinations becomes real stuff like people floating after eating chocolate, and that’s just inherently less interesting to me. But like I said the movie was otherwise surprisingly delightful as it went on.

That’s a fair point. Really awful component to the premise.

exactly why they had to give her fast travel to adulthood there in Portugal I guess

Barb Wire deserves reconsideration as a 90’s dumb action movie classic, it’s on Criterion now. I know it’s stunt casting to have Pamela Anderson as a star but honestly this is a more competent action movie than you’d expect; the action sequences are tight, it’s campy and fun, a perfect Sunday afternoon dumb action movie.

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Watching Roadhouse now. God this movie is ridiculous. So excited to listen to the Rewatchables tomorrow.

I like how the big upgrade turned the Double Deuce into a Red Robin.

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Be nice.

For @LKJ

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Huh, can’t say that I even realized there were any drive-in theaters near me. I might be there.

This place has some odd showings:

2:10 a.m.? WTF.

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