Movie recommendation

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Sue U
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Movie recommendation

Post by Sue U »

If you have not seen Everything Everywhere All At Once, run-do-not-walk to your nearest multiplex and see it NOW. Easily the best movie I have seen in a decade.

What's it about?

A laundromat owner prepares for a tax audit. DO NOT LEARN ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT.

It's hilarious, it's sweet, it's wildly imaginative and utterly enchanting.

Image
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BoSoxGal
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by BoSoxGal »

I have heard nothing but fantastic news about this film, I look forward to seeing it! Sadly both of my local Regal theaters closed entirely during the pandemic so I would have to drive about an hour in heavy traffic to see it in the theater, which is not something I’m up to. Still also nervous about that length of time in enclosed space although a matinee might be safer. Anyway I will likely have to wait to stream it. Will diligently avoid spoilers until then.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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Sue U
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by Sue U »

I see the Academy agreed with me (for a change):
Oscar Wins By Film: ‘EEAAO’ Leads With 7 Statues

'Everything Everywhere All At Once' led the 2023 pack.

March 12, 2023 9:05pm

As expected, Daniels Kwan and Scheinert’s Everything Everywhere All At Once has come out on top at 2023’s Oscars ceremony, with the most wins of anything nominated.

The A24 multiverse dramedy, only the second feature film from the directing duo, took home seven awards: best picture, director, lead actress for Michelle Yeoh, original screenplay, editing, supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan and supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis.

It broke multiple records with its haul: Yeoh is the first woman to identify as Asian to win lead actress and only the second woman of color ever to win in that category. She also is the actor who has won for playing the most characters in a single film ever (around 70). Quan and Yeoh are the first actors to win for playing Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese-speaking characters, as well as it being the first ceremony multiple Asian actors won in a single year. EEAAO received 11 nominations total but lost out on best costume design, best original score, best original song and to itself in supporting actress.

Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front also had a strong evening, winning for international feature, cinematography, score, and production design.

The Whale was next in line, with two awards, for makeup and lead actor for Brendan Fraser. There was a healthy distribution of awards to other movies, despite EEAAO and All Quiet’s massive success: films like Avatar: The Way of Water, Women Talking, RRR, Top Gun: Maverick, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever each took home a solitary trophy.
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Econoline
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by Econoline »

I was just a *tiny* bit disappointed that it was Jamie Lee Curtis rather than Stephanie Hsu who won for Supporting Actress, but they were competing in the same category for performances in the same movie, so they couldn't both win; it was a close call, and I understand why Curtis got it.

(If it had gone the other way, I guess I would've been a tiny bit disappointed that Curtis didn't win. :shrug)

I'm still not sure enough to say so with absolute certainty, but I think EEAAO has become my all-time favorite movie. It deserves to win everything (everywhere all at once. )
People who are wrong are just as sure they're right as people who are right. The only difference is, they're wrong.
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Sue U
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by Sue U »

Econoline wrote:
Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:55 pm
I'm still not sure enough to say so with absolute certainty, but I think EEAAO has become my all-time favorite movie. It deserves to win everything (everywhere all at once. )
That's funny, I was reading the LA Times film critic Justin Chang who said there was a "generational split" in which older audiences hated the film while younger ones adored it. Either he's wrong, or you and I are much younger than we look. (He thought something else should have won best picture, but I was never really clear on why exactly he thought EEAAO was undeserving.)
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Econoline
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by Econoline »

I loved loved LOVED it; my wife walked out before it was over (during the butt-plug scene IIRC) and when I found her in the lobby later she said, "That was the STUPIDEST movie I've ever seen!"

We're both 76. Go figure. :shrug
People who are wrong are just as sure they're right as people who are right. The only difference is, they're wrong.
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ex-khobar Andy
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by ex-khobar Andy »

Haven't seen it and I am not sure I will: I'm not much for fantasy but having said that, I enjoyed the LoTR movies and of course I have seen all the Harry Potter movies.

Interesting that Jamie Lee Curtis won the Best Supporting Actress award. Her mother, Janet Leigh, won the same award for Psycho. I really don't understand why she was a supporting actress in that movie given her central role.

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BoSoxGal
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Re: Movie recommendation

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ex-khobar Andy wrote:
Wed Mar 15, 2023 1:03 am
Interesting that Jamie Lee Curtis won the Best Supporting Actress award. Her mother, Janet Leigh, won the same award for Psycho. I really don't understand why she was a supporting actress in that movie given her central role.
No, Janet Leigh didn’t win the Oscar for Psycho - she won the Golden Globe. She lost the best supporting actress Oscar to Shirley Jones who won for her role in Elmer Gantry.

As to why she was nominated as best supporting rather than best actress- that’s a little fuzzy to me. She was in Psycho twice as long as Jones was in Gantry. I always thought it was about length of time on screen but maybe not?
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
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Sue U
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by Sue U »

ex-khobar Andy wrote:
Wed Mar 15, 2023 1:03 am
Haven't seen it and I am not sure I will: I'm not much for fantasy but having said that, I enjoyed the LoTR movies and of course I have seen all the Harry Potter movies.
I mean, it uses "fantasy" as a device to tell a story about -- well, about everything: hurt, healing, dispute, reconciliation, love, finding your way and place in the word, acceptance of ones self and others -- but I don't think I'd call it a fantasy movie. I guess I'd think of it more as a comic meditation on the drama of life, using elements of fantasy, sci-fi, action, martial arts and more "conventional" story-telling to highlight its themes and drive the narrative.
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Big RR
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by Big RR »

I haven't seen it yet; I imagine I will watch it sometimes, but I'm not expecting much based on the reviews I have read; it seems what the reviewers are extolling are things I don't particularly like in movies. But I'll keep and open mind and see.

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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by Big RR »

Sue--what did youtthink of that song that was nominated from the film? I couldn't stand it but I wanted another opinion.

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BoSoxGal
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by BoSoxGal »

I haven’t seen the movie yet, waiting until I upgrade from my dinky 27” to a bigger screen later this month. I plan to watch it after getting baked, and depending on the experience, I might watch it again while tripping.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

ex-khobar Andy
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by ex-khobar Andy »

BoSoxGal wrote:
Wed Mar 15, 2023 1:45 am
ex-khobar Andy wrote:
Wed Mar 15, 2023 1:03 am
Interesting that Jamie Lee Curtis won the Best Supporting Actress award. Her mother, Janet Leigh, won the same award for Psycho. I really don't understand why she was a supporting actress in that movie given her central role.
No, Janet Leigh didn’t win the Oscar for Psycho - she won the Golden Globe. She lost the best supporting actress Oscar to Shirley Jones who won for her role in Elmer Gantry.

As to why she was nominated as best supporting rather than best actress- that’s a little fuzzy to me. She was in Psycho twice as long as Jones was in Gantry. I always thought it was about length of time on screen but maybe not?
You're right of course - I meant to say 'was nominated for'. I'll do what the NYT usually does and call it an editing error.

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Sue U
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Re: Movie recommendation

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Big RR wrote:
Wed Mar 15, 2023 2:56 pm
Sue--what did youtthink of that song that was nominated from the film? I couldn't stand it but I wanted another opinion.
While I generally really like both Mitski and David Byrne, I did not care for this song. And while I also really like Rihanna, I didn't care for her nominated song either. I'm glad Naatu Naatu won because at least it wasn't boring and it brought more Bollywood (or really Tollywood) to an American audience. It's not the greatest South Asian song, but I think the dance-off scene in RRR was probably my favorite part of the movie (although the massive chaos-at-the-estate scene was some big fun as well). I don't think the Oscars for music are particularly interesting, because as a rule movie music is not really made to be interesting (one recent exception being the music for Power of the Dog, which was really quite good -- and I don't think it won any Oscars).
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Big RR
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by Big RR »

I was asking because I know you have a fairly eclectic taste in music, but I agree with you about David Byrne and this song. I also agree about Rihanna, and FWIW, I didn't particularly care for Lady Gaga's stripped down rendition of her song--I didn't care for the song that won, but then I generally cannot stand those Bollywood productions (so I generally avoid those films, leaving them for those who like them).

I Agree with you about Oscar songs, but I do think there is some fairly interesting scoring in many films--the kind you don't really ntice, but which serves to progress the plot.

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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by BoSoxGal »

One of my favorite moments from the Oscars ceremony was when the songwriter of Nattu Nattu paid tribute to his childhood listening to The Carpenters and sang part of his speech to the tune of On Top of the World. Karen and Richard inspired a lot of terrific music beyond the brilliant stuff they made themselves.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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Sue U
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by Sue U »

Big RR wrote:
Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:01 pm
I generally cannot stand those Bollywood productions (so I generally avoid those films, leaving them for those who like them).
!!!!

Well there's no accounting for taste.

I love the totally over-the-top nature of Indian films. We recently watched all 742 hours of both films of the Baahubali epic ("The Beginning" and "The Conclusion") and it was a super-good time. You just have to give yourself over to the whole Indian cinema aesthetic and its stylized manner of storytelling entertainment. Think of it as a surrealist South Asian mashup of/homage to Broadway musicals and big-budget Hollywood spectacle films of the '50s and you might like it more.
Big RR wrote:
Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:01 pm
I Agree with you about Oscar songs, but I do think there is some fairly interesting scoring in many films--the kind you don't really ntice, but which serves to progress the plot.
I always notice the film scoring, I think the type of music and the way it is used in a film tells you a lot and can be pretty interesting in itself. Like I said, I thought the score for Power of the Dog was really imaginative, really augmented the story and was really well done in terms of musical craftsmanship; I mean, it was a very good movie (even if a long way to go for a punchline), but the music grabbed my attention right off the bat and kept me riveted to the film.
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Sue U
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Re: Movie recommendation

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BoSoxGal wrote:
Wed Mar 15, 2023 3:35 pm
I haven’t seen the movie yet, waiting until I upgrade from my dinky 27” to a bigger screen later this month. I plan to watch it after getting baked, and depending on the experience, I might watch it again while tripping.
Weed would be cool, but boy I'd be cautious about tripping, the movie might be a bit overwhelming on psychedelics. YMMV, of course.
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Big RR
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by Big RR »

Sue--
I love the totally over-the-top nature of Indian films. We recently watched all 742 hours of both films of the Baahubali epic ("The Beginning" and "The Conclusion") and it was a super-good time. You just have to give yourself over to the whole Indian cinema aesthetic and its stylized manner of storytelling entertainment. Think of it as a surrealist South Asian mashup of/homage to Broadway musicals and big-budget Hollywood spectacle films of the '50s and you might like it more.
Well, chacun a son gout; and I am quite happy to leave those films to you and your brethren. I'm not much of a fan of Hollywood musical films either, so I doubt I'll ever have the same feelings about these as you do.n

FWIW, I have seen some very good Indian movies, but they are not in the Bollywood style--a couple I would recommend (although they are a bit older--Siddhartha, and Kama-Sutra, the Book of Love (and no, it is not a porn film). I am sure there are more recent ones, but it does seem that the only ones that find their way to the US are the Bollywood movies; it seems there is an audience and you are not alone.

As for 742 hours, that dwarfs the ongest film I recall watching--Sergio Leone's 1900 that clocked in at about 6 1/2 hours 9back in the days when the theaters would still show movies that long. Howlong did it take you to get through that.

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Sue U
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Re: Movie recommendation

Post by Sue U »

Big RR wrote:
Fri Mar 17, 2023 1:31 pm
As for 742 hours, that dwarfs the ongest film I recall watching--Sergio Leone's 1900 that clocked in at about 6 1/2 hours 9back in the days when the theaters would still show movies that long. Howlong did it take you to get through that.
I was exaggerating! The two Baahubali movies together run about 5-1/2 hours.

ETA:

OMG, I now see that Baahubali Part 3 will be coming out this year! This going to be the Hindu Ring cycle. (And now that I think about it, they have a lot in common.)
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