A breath of fresh air

Lately, it seems rare that I come across a movie that I feel I have to rave about. That's not to say there aren't good films, it just seems they are few and far between nowadays. Yesterday is truly what the title of this blog describes. It didn't take long for me to realize I'd been wasting my time with other films.  In fact, all it took was seeing Danny Boyle listed as the director for me to realize that I would love this film. I can remember when Trainspotting first came out. There was this buzz about this new director whose talents went beyond what others were doing at the time. Boyle uses so many skills to tell an amazing story.  He finds incredible stories to tell. Often they are adaptations of great books like the aforementioned Trainspotting, The Beach, or Slumdog Millionaire. Sometimes, they are original stories like 28 Days Later, Sunshine, and this gem Yesterday. All of his films are visually stunning, even when they are somewhat disturbing as in the toilet scene in Trainspotting. He also knows the importance of a strong soundtrack in storytelling. 

And Yesterday blends all of these elements with a strong cast to present a simply wonderful film. The movie tells the story of Jack Malik, a struggling musician who wakes from an accident to discover that he is the only person who has heard of The Beatles. He quickly realizes the goldmine that has been given to him. I found this premise to be fascinating. What would a world be like if The Beatles' music never existed? And would you capitalize on someone else's talent, even if no one knew it wasn't your own? And most important, could you remember the lyrics to all the songs? Think about that. You can't play a cd or google it. You have to recall it all cold, with no help. This was a hilarious part of the plot, especially Malik's struggle with the song, Eleanor Rigby. I never realized how crazy those lyrics really are until they showed how hard it was for him to recall them.

You may think you know where this movie is going, but I can almost guarantee you will be surprised. I know I was. I watched it last night and it has been lingering with me all day. It made me smile, laugh, and literally sob at one point. Why is that a good thing, you ask? I can't say anything more without giving too much away. This film was exactly what I needed right now.  It was such a (insert blog title here!)

Finding funny in a bleak world

In these daunting days where optimism seems so difficult to find, self-care has become as important as the ever elusive roll of toilet paper. Every individual has a unique way of seeking some much needed distraction. It was surprising to hear that sales of Albert Camus' novel, The Plague, have soared. I'm not sure I could enjoy reading such a dreary story. Browsing what's popular on Netflix right now, I see lots of various baking shows along side darker fair like Ozark and Tiger King. I'll agree that watching polite Brits compete for a cake dish is good escapism, but I don't know about watching the slow, violent destruction of a nuclear family or the weirdly disturbing true tale of animal abuse and murder-for-hire as a method of forgetting my troubles. Obviously, many are enjoying those shows; however, I have found that there has been nothing better than a hearty belly laugh.

Over the past few weeks, we've found lots of that ingredient in such shows as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Daily (Social Distancing) Show with Trevor Noah, and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Colbert and Noah have excelled at finding humor in current events and they continue to do so to a certain extent. I have found that it has become harder and harder to laugh away much of what is happening and so watching their shows has become a little less light and fun. Jimmy Fallon was hilarious at the start of the shelter-in-place days. While I have no personal experience with dealing with children who are stuck in the house, I found his struggles to be absolutely hilarious. Unfortunately, I've noticed in recent days that he is limiting our exposure to the mirthfulness of these family interactions. I still enjoy the show, but not nearly as much as previously.

So I found myself  searching for some much needed hilarity and rediscovering a new edition of a sure-fire source of guffaws, MST3K. Actually, it's MST3K: The Return. I watched the original series religiously back in the late 90s. It was my escape from a hard knock life of working long hours. Ironically, it is now an escape from a hard knock life of working hardly any hours. But the laughs are just as good with Jonah Ray doing a great job of filling the large shoes first filled by Joel Hodgson and later by Mike Nelson. Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt are entertaining as the mad scientist and her sidekick. I really have no complaints about these new installments. The movies are perfectly bad and the writing is equally great. This is the PERFECT escape from really dark days. The good news is if I'm able to get through the two seasons of this newer series, the original series is available through IMDb. Things are looking up!

Re-Discovering Star Trek

I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm a Trekkie. Let's face it, I prefer Star Wars, but the original Star Trek series does hold a special place in my heart. When I was growing up, we only had three channels on our TV. That's right, we could only get CBS and NBC. ABC was available only if the weather was good. Do you want to hear something else shocking? Not only was our TV black and white, it had a screen that was only 3 inches! That's right, my first TV as a child was half the size of the screen on the phone where you may be reading this blog. So it was a real treat when we went to my grandmother's house. Not only did she have a big screen, color TV  (in reality probably 30 inches at most) she also had cable! This opened up an entirely new world to us with TV shows like Love Connection, Mission Impossible, Lost In Space, Hogan's Heroes, and of course Star Trek. To this day, I can't hear that iconic theme music without singing along just like my sisters and I did so many years ago. 

I have to admit that most of the relevance of that original series was lost on me at the time. I didn't see the cultural importance of actors portraying roles that didn't include stereotypes of their respective races. Though it was odd to see so many people wearing weird ears and makeup, I didn't fully understand the important themes that were conveyed like tolerance and understanding of those who are different. For me, it wasn't even the thrill of a Sci-Fi show that captured my attention. Sci-Fi didn't capture my full attention for another couple of years with the release of the first Star Wars movie. No, for me the show was just entertaining and fun. 
As I grew up, my interest in Star Trek waned. I saw the movies and they were somewhat entertaining; though, I only really remember the first two and I recall there being whales in one of the later ones. When I started dating Kevin, who is a pretty big fan, I still didn't get into any of the Star Trek TV shows. I tried watching episodes of Next Generation, but they didn't capture my interest. It could be that I hadn't started watching at the beginning, so the characters were unknown. I know that I often chuckled at some of the absolutely over-the-top costumes. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to IMDb and look through the images for the show. Wow!) Regardless, the appeal just wasn't there. That is until recently when we noticed the start of a new Star Trek series, Discovery. The trailers revealed a show that looked unlike any previous series I had ever seen, so we watched the pilot with much anticipation. I immediately became hooked, so we looked forward to the next installment. Unfortunately, we found that it was only going to be available on a new service, CBS All Access. At the time, we had no interesting in paying for access to network TV shows plus a couple of originals; however, this changed earlier this year when they advertised a second Star Trek series, Picard. Before diving into that series, we knew we needed to watch Discovery.
And here, finally, is what I thought of it. I can now officially proclaim myself a Trekkie. Well, I know I am a fan of this show for certain. The characters are well written and very well acted. I was a fan of Sonequa Martin-Green when she was on The Walking Dead and was disappointed that she left that show. Now I know why she did and I am very grateful. Her performance as Michael Burnham, a human rescued and raised by a Vulcan family, is multi-faceted. She is seamless in her transition from a logical person reared to tamp down her emotions to a highly reactive woman fighting for what she believes is the right course. The cast is full of equally talented actors including Michelle Yeoh who is endearing as both the 'good' and 'evil' Philippa Georgiou. I've enjoyed watching her since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and before that when she held her own with Jackie Chan in numerous martial arts action films. Jason Isaac is fascinating as Gabriel Lorca, the captain of Discovery whose motives I immediately questioned. Doug Jones' Saru is intriguing both in the way he acts and in the way he moves which adds so much to his interpretation of what a Kelpien is. Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly provides some needed humor and humanity. I thoroughly enjoyed the evolution of her character. The series is successful in capturing the audience's attention quickly and developing anticipation for the next week's installment with interesting and often culturally relevant subjects. I have always enjoyed TV shows that provide backstories and Discovery's writers do a great job of revealing what drives the crew of the ship. The special effects are very good for a smaller budgeted TV show. I even enjoyed the opening credits and theme so much that we rarely fast forwarded through it. It's almost as catchy as the original series' theme, which is saying a lot! AND there were no over-the-top, ridiculous costumes! 
As I sit here in a world where the proverbial pause button has been pressed, where everything is on hold until we know things can return to some semblance of normal, I wonder when the next season will be available. It could be a while, but that's ok. I look forward to watching Star Trek: Discovery again and revisiting a world that is equally far from my own and near to my heart.

Robot & Frank

Stop what you're doing and watch this film. This movie sat on my Netflix queue forever. It got great reviews. Netflix said I would love it, but I always seemed to find something else to watch. I'm sorry that I didn't watch it sooner. This wonderful film, brilliantly acted by Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, and Liv Tyler, is about family and the inevitable changes we go through when we grow old.
Set in the near future, this film follows the title characters as an awkward but powerful friendship develops between them. At first, Frank wants nothing to do with robot, a service robot purchased by his son to monitor his health and every move. Technology has distanced him from everything. His children only connect with him through tv screens. Even his last oasis, the library, has been bought by quirky 30 somethings and is being changed to a social gathering place where people can have a 'library experience', minus the books. Yeah, I don't get it either. The only thing he feels connected to is the mechanical nurse who is devoted to making sure he is healthy and happy. He soon realizes that robot can help him get back all the things he's lost and give his life meaning again.
The screenplay is excellent. The cinematography is beautiful. The music sets the tone in every scene. I can't stop raving about this movie. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me want to watch it again and again. I couldn't wish for more from this movie. I can only wish for more of this kind of movie.

The Oscar doesn't always go to...

It's the night in Hollywood, at least it is for some people. I think everyone has heard about the blatant lack of nominations for African Americans. This is nothing new, but it bites a bit more considering Selma is one of the Best Picture nominees. The discrepancy is nothing new and it is egregious some years more than others. Unfortunately, Hollywood is white. They're not proud of that, but they are very white. And the award circuit, for the most part, is a political being. I can't comment on any performances this year because, as usual, I've only seen a few of the movies. But I believe too much focus is placed on an award system that has never been truly reflective of the talent that exists in the industry, regardless of race.
I thought I would share some interesting trivia about the Academy Awards. It is not my intent to belittle anyone's grievances, more to show that many have felt slighted and they all are in good company.

Let's start with 'the most':
Walt Disney was nominated 59 times, 22 of those were consecutive, and won 26 statuettes. All three of those records will never be broken. Ironically, he was only ever nominated for Best Picture once, Mary Poppins, but didn't win.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King holds the record for winning the most awards it was nominated for by taking the statuette for all 11 nominations.
Both Bette Davis and Greer Garson were each nominated a record 5 consecutive years. And Barry Fitzgerald is the only actor to ever be nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for the same role. The rules don't allow for this to happen anymore.

I could continue with 'the most', but I found 'the least' to be far more fascinating.
So here are 'the least':
Though I don't know if this is a record, I thought it was incredible that Anthony Hopkins was on screen for only 16 minutes in his Best Actor winning role as Hannibal in The Silence of the Lambs!
Federico Fellini was nominated 12 times and Ingmar Bergman 9 times and neither won one, though they both did earn honorary Oscars. And Alfred Hitchcock not only never won at the Academy, he was spurned at the Golden Globes, Cannes, the BAFTA's, and Director's Guild. Stunning!
Both Mary Poppins and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? won the fewest (only 5) of their nominations (13). Both Johnny Belinda and Becket only managed to win one of their 12 nominations! And The Turning Point and The Color Purple didn't win in a single one of their 11 nominated categories. Steven Spielberg wasn't even nominated for Best Director for the latter.
But the biggest slight by the Academy is this, neither Richard Burton nor Peter O'Toole ever won an Oscar, despite being nominated 7 and 8 times respectively. Both were nominated for Becket! O'Toole was given a Lifetime Achievement Award, the Academy's mea culpa.
In conclusion, it is shameful how much the Academy overlooks performances in all minorities. And perhaps they will change their ways. In the end, there will always be plenty of hurt feelings. What is most important is these talented people continue to produce quality films because there are plenty of us out there that appreciate them, whether they hold that little gold man or not.

And the Oscar went to...

This time of year always makes me miss my mom. We have watched so many movies together and many of them have been Oscar winners. So I thought I'd share some of my favorite moments, lines, and other trivia from some Oscar winning films.

Oscar winner 1951

 

 

Won Oscars for Sound, Costume Design, Screenplay, Director (Joseph L Mankiewicz), Supporting Actor (George Sanders), and Best Picture. Neither Bette Davis nor Anne Baxter won for Best Actress. Amazingly enough, Judy Holliday won for Born Yesterday, also beating out Gloria Swanson, nominated for Sunset Blvd.
Davis had no idea how true this line would be on that night: "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"




 

Oscar winner 1963

Won Oscars for Score, Film Editing, Art Direction, Sound, Cinematography, Director (David Lean), and Best Picture. 
Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif became fast friends during this film. O'Toole swore 'Omar' was not his real name and called him Freddy for the rest of his life. I don't know why I chose that tidbit. I just thought it was great.
One of the best moments ever caught on film is the scene where Lawrence (O'Toole) meets Ali (Sharif). In a wide shot, we watch with Lawrence in anticipation as a black dot on the horizon gets closer and closer, finally revealing itself as a lone rider. Everything about this scene is perfect and is best seen on the big screen.

Oscar winner 1969

Won Oscars for Original Score, Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actress (Katherine Hepburn). She shared the win with Barbara Streisand for Funny Girl. I've seen both performances and they were both fantastic, but no one is better than glorious Kate. She delivers one of my most favorite movie lines of all time, "I'd hang you from the nipples, but you'd shock the children." In fact, every word of this screenplay is poetry and delivered perfectly by the entire cast.
I never tire of watching this stupendous film. The chemistry between Hepburn and O'Toole is genuine. She affectionately called him 'pig' onset and they sat together every day at five, winding down with a glass of white wine. Now that's a 'tea time' I would have loved to take.

Oscar winner 1983

 Won Oscars for Film Editing, Costume Design, Art Direction, Cinematography, Original Screenplay, Director (Richard Attenborough), Best Actor (Ben Kingsley), and Best Picture. Kingsley so resembled Gandhi that many natives believed he was Gandhi's ghost. Oddly enough, Kingsley's parents were from the same state in India as Gandhi. Perhaps he was truly meant for the role. Either way, his performance is outstanding.
I knew next to nothing about Gandhi before I saw this movie and learned so much about the strength of nonviolence and power of conviction. It's a lesson that should be embraced by everyone, everywhere.




There they are, some of my favorite Oscar winners. I love them all because, in some way, they all remind me of my mom. She is the best movie buddy in the world. I love you Mom, every single day!

J is for killer, pregnant, rock opera!

 J was hard! I had to struggle to find enough movies to review. And I tried hard to find another movie to start with, but when it comes right down to it, this is truly a great movie. The first ever 'summer blockbuster', this movie may have lost it's place at #1 for highest grossing film a long time ago, but it will always be the movie that kept more people out of the ocean than any other film. I was too young to see it in the theater when it came out, but I still remember my older sister's reaction. Not only did she swear never to go into the ocean, but I don't think she's gone in since. That's a testament to how powerful this film is. But this wasn't an easy film to make. The failure of 'Bruce', the mechanical shark, to work underwater necessitated using the camera as the shark, thus creating some incredible pov shots that heightened the suspense. The animosity between Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw translated well to the mutual disdain of their characters onscreen. And the boat built to be sunk at the end of the movie was much more seaworthy than the one used in the rest of the movie. With all this adversity, you'd think we would have never heard from director again. Fortunately, Steven Speilberg doesn't scare as easily as the audience.

Juno is such a fun film...about teen pregnancy, no less! Poor Juno. Her very first sexual experience was a complete disappointment AND she's pregnant. Fortunately, she is much more adept at handling the situation then most of the adults around her. It's her sharp wit and tenacity that create this wonderful story. This film earned a well-deserved Oscar for screenplay for Diablo Cody. Add incredible performances from Ellen Page, Michael Cera, and Jason Bateman, great direction from Jason Reitman and this is a fantastic film. Yet more proof that you don't need a big budget, star power, or special effects to not only make a great film, but also make some money, too

I don't remember if I saw this in the theater. In fact, I can't remember the last time I actually watched the entire film. But I had to include it in this list. It's not because of the incredible cinematography, it was filmed on location in Israel. It isn't the beautiful costuming. It's the music. I grew up singing this rock opera. Not the British stage version, either. This one. Because, in my opinion, no one evokes the helplessness of Jesus in "Gethsemane" better than Ted Neeley. No one shows the forsaken devotion of Judas in "Heaven on their Minds" more poignantly than Carl Anderson. I have been singing "What's the Buzz" since I was a little girl, dancing in my living room. Along with Hair (the original Broadway recording, not the horrible movie), JCS got me across the United States when I moved to California. There is so much history in these songs, they are so woven into my life, that I can't possible separate them. As I write this review, the verses are echoing in my skull. "I only want to say, if there is a way, take this cup away from me, for I don't want to taste its poison."