recently saw a doc titled Stuffed. while the subject matter may not be for everyone-taxidermy-it's a very well done film that shows a whole world of people who do this for different reasons and in different styles. i was into it a little a long time ago and just didn't realize how extensive it had gotten now. unique subject, interesting characters, good film. by the way, saw the film while in Chicago. if you live or visit there try to see a film at the Gene Siskel Film Center. it's a great place to see a film and a nice tribute to a talented man.
Vickie saw and really enjoyed that film: 581) Stuffed @ Siskel. Wildly entertaining, endlessly fascinating doc about the history, skill, art and science of taxidermy, and the remarkable, talented people who love animals and want to preserve their forms for current and future generations. LOVED! No animals were harmed.
I'm waiting for Vickie at a tiny storefront screening room in Pilson (Chicago neighborhood) called FilmFront to see Terry Zwigoff's personal 16mm print of Louie Bluie, his first film, before Crumb and Bad Santa. It's about Howard Armstrong, one of the last surviving members of the black string bands recording in the 1930s. It starts at 7:00 and it's free. They're supposed to have a second showing at 10 p.m. 1740 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608 Louie Bluie: Trailer | Season 1 | POV
We saw A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood today. I cried at least 3 times; twice with actual tears running down my cheeks.
Went to see Midway on Wednesday night, and it was pretty good. They showed all 4 Japanese aircraft carriers being bombed, but oddly missed showing the heavy cruiser Mikuma being so badly damaged where it was finally lost. And I was surprised that they correctly showed the one Japanese carrier with the "island" on the PORT side, rather than the STARBOARD side, which is the usual side. Perhaps this is all Greek to you, but they are all aspects of the show that impressed me (or surprised me by their absence). I recommend it!
We just saw it and they also showed a couple of Soundies with Louis Jordan, an accordionist and Fats Waller.
Ford vs Ferrari what a great flick Intelligent, doesn't pander to the audience. and I read and loved the book
Jojo Rabbit. A skosh derivative of Wes Anderson (not that that's a bad thing if done well, and this certainly is) mostly during the first act. It gets increasingly more dramatic and equally heartbreaking/warming throughout the second and third acts while still supplying a steady diet of laughs. All the actors are fantastic. Maybe my favorite Sam Rockwell performance, my only complaint is I wish he had more screentime. Most notably the kid who plays the titular Jojo is perfect and ,no matter how great everything else is, it wouldn't have worked otherwise.
Depeche Mode: Spirits in the Forest Directed by Anton Corbijn. Neither conventional concert film nor full-blown "Springsteen & I" type fan documentary, it kind of falls between the two stools. The six fans featured are very likeable and have great stories to tell about their lives and what Depeche Mode music means to them. The concert footage from Berlin is a huge departure from most Depeche Mode concert films, in that it's an outdoor venue and a lot of it is in daylight, which is quite incongruous for them. No song is presented in uninterrupted form. That's not to say the music can't be appreciated. Few things have given me as much of an emotional punch in the cinema in 2019 as seeing footage of 25,000 fans doing the obligatory Never Let Me Down Again wave on a giant cinema screen.
Frozen II this afternoon, with family. Loved it, songs not quite as strong as the first but highly enjoyable and glad they didn’t simply repeat the first film’s beats. Also saw it in Dolby Cinema, first time I’ve had the opportunity to try out the new screen in Manchester. Jaw dropping projection (intensity of colours, nuanced textures and incredible dynamic range). Atmos sound almost as good. Absolutely no complaints as to the presentation.
saw this last night with a packed house. many sniffles to be heard but i only teared up once. A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood is a good but flawed film. worth seeing for Tom Hanks performance but when he's not part of the story the movie becomes ordinary. Less of him than I thought going in but worth seeing for Hanks and if you can see it at a bargain price-matinee, etc.
not sure you can really call it predictable when it's based on true events. unless you knew the story going in. did you see it in a Dolby auditorium? really must be seen and felt in one of those.
True, in the sense that younger children would have likely enjoyed it all no less for Frozen II being in a 'standard' theatre. This overgrown kid however loved seeing the film in a Dolby Cinema screening. The visuals - the textures on the digital clothing, the autumnal colours of the forests, the brilliant illumination of ice crystals against a jet black background, couple with the audio - the siren calls coming from all around, including above, as the characters venture through a mist shrouded forest, leave alone the songs - both deserve the best possible presentation. On a purely technical level - CG animation, design, lighting, sound design etc - Frozen II is likely the best looking & sounding film of the CG animation age. The Dolby Cinema screening of the film has convinced me to save the extra to go for an OLED Dolby Vision capable set over an LED equivalent early next year. Already got the basic Atmos setup.
She hasn't seen it yet but will probably travel up to the Pickwick in Park Ridge. Sadly, it's not playing in the giant theater. The only other place is playing in Chicago is the terrible Landmark Century.
Computer animation is more capable of taking full advantage of Dolby Cinema than pretty much any camera made. Every single pixel on that screen has been carefully created by experts.
I can't quite remember if I've seen the best damn film of the year this evening, but I'm willing to bet I did. Parasite. Also my wife saw Tom Hanks play Mr. Rogers just a few nights ago; I opted-out, ruminating on how many times in the past two years this theater has tried to get us excited about seeing films about Mr. Rogers...and the wife couldn't remember any, while I tried to remember at least three films I wasn't interested in on the subject, that she didn't even remember being ambivalent about. Should sorta made my case for me, right there... Then again, we're more in the camp of Captain Kangaroo, being born a little before Fred Roger's influence on the "Brady Boomers".