Menu

susan sarandon

guardians

PETEMSEE IT THIS WEEKEND – 5/4/17

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This column will introduce you to the most popular movies that are coming out in theaters this weekend.

What movie will you see?

 

3 Generations (limited release)

3 Generations tells the story of Ray, a young female who is transitioning to become a male and how her family will respond to her change.  Starring in this drama are Elle Fanning, Susan Sarandon, Naomi Watts, Linda Emond (Julia & Julia), and more.  Gaby Dellal is the writer and director of the flick.  Dellal has directed On a Clear Day and Angels Crest.  Now, find some transportation to see this transgender flick.  That joke was kinda tacky.  Oh well.

The Dinner

Paul, reluctant to go to dinner with his brother and their wives, are not there for just dinner.  Dun Dun Dun.  Pauls brother has an ulterior motive as to why they got together.  This dramatic thriller stars Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, Rebecca Hall, Chloe Sevigny, and more.  Writing and directing this flick is Oren Moverman.  Moverman wrote and directed The Messenger and Rampart.  He also wrote the screenplay for I’m Not There.  Go out to dinner and then check out The Dinner.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Do I really need to go over the synopsis of this movie?  Exactly.  So, I won’t.  Returning for the sequel are Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, and Sean Gunn (brother of James).  Now, lets welcome the newcomers…Pom Klementieff (Old Boy – 2013), Sylvester Stallone, Kurt “Nate hates me” Russell, Tommy Flanagan (SOA), and more.  James Gunn returns as writer and director because he’s no dummy.  Gunn has also signed on for GOTG Vol. 3 because again, he’s no dummy.  No pun here.  Just go see this flick this weekend.

[yop_poll id=”400″]

 

 

1314827189-600full-the-rocky-horror-picture-show-screenshot

31 Days of Halloween Films #6: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

, , , , , , , , , ,

Dr-Frank-N-Furter-the-rocky-horror-picture-show-25365772-1280-800The Lowdown: Tim Curry throws a weird fucking party to unveil his newest boy-toy creation, all set to music.  There’s some other stuff going on but honestly that’s all you need to know.

The Breakdown: Rocky Horror…quite simply THE midnight/cult movie.  Impossible to resist, almost everyone has at least tried to watch Rocky Horror.  It’s a different type of entertainment for sure, but there aren’t many Halloween films as fun as this one.  You’ve got the cliched Frankenstein’s monster subplot, complete with Igor-like assistant.  There is, of course, the irreplaceable Meat Loaf as a rock n’ roll biker boy.  Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick ham it up as the all-American naive couple.  TRHPS has a lot going for it, and while I can understand the hatred this movie incurs amongst a lot of cinephiles it remains, year after year, a staple of my spooktastic October festivities.

rocky_horror_image_3The cheese on display in this movie can be summed up in its’ most intriguing character: Dr. Frank N. Furter, played immortally by Tim Curry.  This is Curry’s defining role, in a career full of standout performances.  Somehow, Curry’s brashness and bravado shine through, creating genuine moments for the character despite the ridiculous nature of what he does.  His energy level being ramped all the way up to 11 does wonders for the role and makes the film.  Richard O’Brien is also noteworthy as Riff Raff, the Igor clone with a hidden agenda.  Plot and strength of script really are not what this film is remembered for.  Rocky Horror’s legacy is directly tied to its’ phenomenal music.

Rocky Horror has one of my all time favorite movie soundtracks.  Almost every tune is a toe-tapper, from the legendary Time Warp to Rose Tint My World.  For a film that is SO bad it’s good, the music is surprisingly strong, almost eclipsing the movie itself.  As a musical, Rocky Horror fires on all cylinders.  Oftentimes, musicals feel contrived because no matter what is going on on-screen, the characters have to stop at some point to sing plot details or inconsequential catchphrases.  Rocky Horror relishes these moments, and because of the absurdity of the plot all the dance numbers really fucking work.  There’s a sense of fun that pervades the film but it really shines through music.

MovieQuiz_564_036The Comedown: I’ve always had a soft spot for Rocky Horror, I admit it.  The hilarious premise of an alien invasion/sci-fi sendup through song is just a great idea to me that I think was executed with some serious movie magic.  This film shouldn’t work.  It’s got a horrible script, mostly stale caricatures in its’ lead actors and a meandering plot that doesn’t say much about our lead characters.  Yet, somehow, Rocky Horror is still the longest running midnight movie?  What does that say about us as a movie watching community?  I don’t know.  I’m not a doctor.  I do know, however, that I enjoy watching Tim Curry run around in a leather bustier, singing about how much he loves dressing in said bustier.  Sue me.

 

 

 

TL_1

The Re-Visit: Thelma & Louise

, , , , , , , ,

TL_3

Up until this week, I had only seen THELMA & LOUISE once, when I was a kid, on home video with my mom. For some reason, she thought it’d be ok for an 11 year old to see some asshole attempt to rape Geena Davis only to have his ass blown away by a very angry and vengeful Susan Sarandon. I guess she had a valid point in wanting to show an important life lesson to a young man, but sweet Jesus, it was a little hardcore for a young buck like myself. I hadn’t seen the flick since, but as it’s one of those movies people seem to gush over, not to mention that it was a relatively successful film at the box office, I decided to give it another show. And I came to this conclusion: fuck this movie.

You can call me a pig, you can say that I’m chauvinistic and against the whole women’s liberation movement or whatever (and you’d be wrong on all accounts), but strictly from a movie watching point of view, THELMA & LOUISE is not very good. There are decent parts to it, there are a few cool characters and performances, but for the most part it’s a very frustrating—and dated—movie to sit through.

TL_2

I expect more from a Ridley Scott film, I guess, but holy hell, those who made this flick so popular should be ashamed of themselves. Here are a few reasons why I hated this flick so much:

  • Geena Davis is fuckin’ hot in this movie (one of her hottest roles ever), but Thelma is one of the most annoying characters of all time. She’s an airhead, she’s naïve of the world, she doesn’t know how to stop talking, and every bad thing that happens to Thelma & Louise in this movie is (more or less) her fault.  Half way through the movie you want to ring her neck or shake the shit out of her, hoping that some sense will knock into that skull of her. But it never happens. And this is a movie that preached “Girl Power”? She makes women out to be idiots.
  • On that note, Susan Sarandon should have slapped the shit out of Thelma long before Thelma had a chance to get plowed by Brad Pitt and have her life savings stolen out from under her. I’ve never really been a Sarandon fan (she always looks really old to me, no matter what movie she’s in), and I guess she does OK here, but why and how Louise is friends with Thelma is a fucking mystery. Thelma is a moron, Louise has a strong head on her shoulders, and everything Thelma does shits on what Louise is trying to get accomplished. Thelma is the worst friend EVER.
  • Nothing dates a movie like music, and the music choices in THELMA & LOUISE are horrendous. Not only are the country-rock songs bad, they’re used way too often and when used, they’re played way too loud, so they take over each and every scene they’re being featured in, even when the song/music isn’t the focus. It’s like having a fuckin’ music montage in every scene, even when they’re just sitting there chit-chatting each other up. I pretty much hated all the song choices. Maybe I’m a hater of the rock/country music of the early 90s, but so the fuck what. Bad music is bad music, and when it’s played so loud and frequent in a movie, it makes me hate it even more.
  • Men are assholes. That’s the moral of the story and I know this because all the male characters in the movie, save for maybe Harvey Keitel and Michael Madsen, are complete assholes. Rapist dude in the beginning? Asshole. Christopher McDonald as Thelma’s husband? Asshole. Brad Pitt the hot hitchhiker? Asshole. Most of the cops in the movie? Assholes. The perverted trucker? Asshole. I get that shoving the notion of “all men are assholes” is the point of the movie, but come on!

Is there any good in this movie? As mentioned earlier, Harvey Keitel and Michael Madsen are both awesome, and Christopher McDonald steels every scene he’s in because he’s just that ridiculous. And I dug how adult the movie is: it’s made for adults and it feels that way, and for that, I’ll give it some props. Movies today are all made for teenagers or twenty-somethings, and this one didn’t cater down to the audience, but rather kept shit serious for all the grownups eating this shit up. Otherwise, I can easily say this is one of Ridley Scott’s worst movies to date… and that’s saying something. Is THELMA & LOUISE worth a re-visit? Not unless you want to see Brad Pitt’s shirt off before he was famous. Otherwise, it’s a movie that should never be sat through again.

Honest Grade: C

Re-Visit Grade: F (for FUCK this movie)

TL_4