Thursday, January 12, 2023

Thursday Movie Picks-2022 Releases

 

Wandering Through The Shelves has decided to take her theme challenge to a bi-weekly basis except for February(romance) and October ( scary). I was wondering when this would happen but, as long as she doesn’t mind, I’m going to try and do my own themes in between but I might not use her logo because...it’s her logo! 

I hate to admit it but I only saw one film from last year, the Downton Abbey film which was ok but, I felt, they tried to fit too much in to a 2 hour movie, so I’m choosing 3 films I really want to see. I want to see a lot more but these are my top ones...

1. EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

This star the great Michelle Yeoh ( the first modern kick ass Bond woman, it is not Halle Berry) as an aging lady who, somehow, finds herself in parallel worlds who must combat different bad asses or something like that. I heard it’s quite funny and she steals every moment. 

2. THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleason were so good together in “In Bruges” and, from what I hear, they do it again in this quirky film about long time friends who break when Brendan Gleason just tells Farrell he no longer wants to be friends any longer. Now, Farrell tries to win back his friend. I’m certain there is more to it but that’s the summation I know.

3. BABYLON

This is all about old time Hollywood when the silent cinema was changing to sound. You have me right then and there! I know quite a bit about the silent cinema and love every aspect about it. Cocaine, morphine, drinking( what prohibition?) and lots of spending. There were huge stars known for their ladylike elegance on screen without the public knowing they actually spoke with a thick Brooklyn accent. Many played the average American joe but could hardly speak the English language. When talkies came in, panic ensued and many lost their careers overnight relegated to obscurity, going back to their own country or, sadly, committing suicide. This film seems to use this time to tell different stories that the average person can watch and enjoy but people, like me, will get all the gems hidden in plain sight. It stars many people, like Brad Pitt and I heard, it did not do well so that must mean it is good.  By the way, if you can ever watch the documentary series called “ Hollywood” by Kevin Brownlow, you should see it...it’s excellent!

What films have you seen.


Here is the last episode from that great documentary  with the title called " End of an Era". 

21 comments:

  1. Hi, Birgit!

    I hope you are well and in good spirits, dear friend. Action adventure fantasy films are typically not my favorite category (s), but I admit that the first film looks like a hoot. However, I don't know about those 2-and-a-half minute trailers. It seems like they reveal too much of the plot and show too many highlights of the action scenes before you even sit down to watch the movie. I believe a trailer should be limited to one minute. If you can't get the viewer interested in 60 seconds, you aren't doing it right.

    Mrs. Shady is part Irish (the temper part), and I know she will love watching The Banshees of Inisherin. It is very highly rated on IMDB and looks like an entertaining and absorbing story about male friendship.

    After watching the trailer and reading reviews, I don't know if I'd want to take the thrill-a-moment Babylon roller coaster ride. Wiki has this interesting tidbit that helps explain the film's disappointing performance at the box office in 2022: " Deadline cited the general public's declining interest in prestige films, the threat of a tripledemic surge in COVID-19 and flu cases, and the nationwide impact of Winter Storm Elliott as reasons for lower-than-expected theater attendance. The outlet also noted that with a combined production and promotion budget of around $160 million, Babylon will have to gross $250 million worldwide in order to break-even."

    I thoroughly enjoyed the segment from the 1980 documentary Hollywood. If was indeed a shame that many actors and actresses with foreign accents were pushed out of the industry or felt the need to return to their native countries when sound came in. Garbo was a notable exception. As someone who worked in TV production, including sound, I particularly enjoyed learning how the introduction of sound impacted filmmaking in unexpected ways. The players were so used to taking verbal off-screen direction during production of silents that they needed to relearn their craft for sound pictures. The cameraman needed to be placed in a hot stuffy little cell and sweat for hours at a time so that the camera noise wouldn't be picked up by the microphones. Scenes needed to be reworked and often looked unnatural because all of the actors with speaking parts needed to be close enough to a lone microphone, which happened in some cases. Sound men assumed great power in movie production because they were regarded as geniuses. Fascinating stuff, Birgit.

    A week ago, I watched Shark Bait (2022) which turned out to be one of the better shark attack films.

    Thanks for the movie info, reviews and entertainment, dear friend BB. Enjoy the rest of your week and weekend, and please give my good buddy Harley a great big hug from Shady!

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    1. I do find that some trailers give too much out but it doesn’t bother me, that might be because I do often read the last page first which makes me want to read the book even more.

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    2. Oops, I hit the publish button by accident. I so want to see The Banshees and you made me laugh about your wife’s Irish temper. I bet it’s no match for my hubby’s French/ Scottish temper..lol. Yeah...Garbo talks! Finally, in 1930 and she made it but Vilma Banky was done in the movies. I’m glad you enjoyed this final episode of this great series. You can find all 13 parts on YouTube and it is fascinating especially the Stuntman and The Cameraman.

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  2. You saw my best of - I saw a lot of movies last year and place The Batman and Avatar: The Way of Water at top. Everything... is a really good film. Very mind-bending and emotional.

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    1. I’m glad you saw Everything and want to see it. I heard The Batman was pretty good. I guess I should see Avatar because of the effects but not the acting, writing, directing or plot..hhahahaa

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  3. I love all 3 of these and I hope you get to see them soon!

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  4. I have not been out to a theater since 2020, so I haven't seen anything new. Well, nothing new that wasn't streaming. I did see the new Downton Abbey as it was streaming recently. (I agree with you.)

    I do want to see the first one you mentioned as everyone who's seen it has raved about it. Your synopses make me want to see the other two now, and I hadn't heard a thing about them. I think that's why Babylon tanked--no one had heard of it.

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    1. I heard it tanked and believe if it is not a smash ‘em up, wow special effects movie, it will tank. I hope you see a couple of new ones

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  5. I would love to see the Banshees too. I got the latest film of Downton for Christmas but have yet to watch it, take care, Kate x

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    1. I’d like to know what you think of Downton but, mind you, I still loved watching it.

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  6. I must not get out much, I haven't seen these. Hope you are well.

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  7. Hi Birgit,

    All three of these are ones I'd like to see as well particularly Babylon if only to see how they worked in the scandals of the time and how much they stuck to the actual facts versus salacious gossip. I am also fascinated by that period of film and it's true many of the stars failed to make the transition with some meeting tragic ends but then there are others like Vilma Banky, Corinne Griffith and the Talmadge sisters whose careers bit the dust but had invested wisely in real estate and retired happily to private life.

    I haven’t seen much from last year either. I still don't feel comfortable going back to a movie theatre and spend a couple of hours surrounded by coughing, sneezing people. But I did see a few things.

    The best of those was Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris with Lesley Manville and Isabelle Huppert. I had read the source novelette and seen the first take on it with Angela Lansbury and Diana Rigg (where it was properly titled Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris considering the character's Cockney accent). In this one they took some liberties with the character (chief among them making her younger, but thankfully not young!) but since the story of a charwoman who dreams of owning an original Dior dress is so sweet it didn't hurt the film.

    Being an enormous Downton Abbey fan also I did watch the new film the day it was available to stream. Loved it even if it was a bit overstuffed.

    The other is an indie from the UK called "In from the Side" about two members of a gay rugby team, both in relationships, who fall into what starts as a one-night drunken encounter and ends up being a complex, difficult affair. I hadn't expected much when I started it, but the film turned out to be a real gem.

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    1. I’m not quite comfortable either being with a ton of people especially since I just found out friends of mine got Covid the day before Christmas and they were always diligent but they went to a lacrosse game. I really want to see Mrs. Harris because I enjoyed the TV movie with Angela Lansbury and the wonderful Diana Rigg. I too, still love Downton and overstuffed is a perfect word. I’m not sure about the 3rd one but I always will give a film a chance.

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  8. 2022 releases?
    Nope.

    I haven't been in a movie theatre since 2008 ('Slumdog Millionaire'), and I have no intention of "going to a movie" ever again.

    ~ STMcC

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    1. What? None ever again? There are some good movies that come out...you never know

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    2. Yes, none ever again.
      And, no, no there aren't.
      (But then i guess that depends on what the meaning of "good" is.)
      ~ D-FensDogG

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  9. I haven't been in a movie theater since 2011 and I didn't watch the awards program last week. However, that first film sounds good. Thanks for the rave reviews.

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  10. Hi, Birgit! I want to see all three, too. I didn’t know about Yeoh’s movie until I read about her co-star winning this year’s best supporting actor awards. That is so cool for him!

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  11. I've seen two of your three picks. The Banshees is still on my to watch list, I hope it'll come to the cinema around here or something, I would love to check it out.

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