I splurged and indulged myself by getting Oscar Micheaux: The Complete Collection, presenting the entire surviving body of work from this legendary director. He is behind the earliest surviving film by an African American Director (Within Our Gates, 1920) and the earliest surviving sound film by an African American Director (The Exile, 1931).
Operating on shoestring budgets completely outside the studio system, Micheaux explored the Black experience with nuance and depth, often challenging the negative stereotypes so commonly portrayed in films of the era. This five-disc collection showcases the director’s entire surviving body of work, including seven new restorations: Within Our Gates, The Symbol of the Unconquered, Body and Soul, God’s Step Children, Veiled Aristocrats, Murder in Harlem, and The Notorious Elinor Lee. It also showcases Micheaux’s rarely seen genre films, such as Lying Lips, Underworld, and Swing! from the best surviving film elements.
Because of the limited budget and often using Black actors with little or no experience in film acting, these movies may seem primitive, but Micheaux imbues them with surprising depth and imagery that will remain in one's memory. I long ago decided that he would be on my list of "Historic People That You'd Like To Have Dinner With."
Mrs Gramps and I watchedConclave last night. Great movie, nominated for 8 Oscars plus a ton of other nominations. Presents a very interesting question: could a intersex/hermaphrodite person be named as the next pope?
Finally got round to watching Emilia Perez last night. It wasn't that keen on it, though there were bits I liked. My husband was much more positive about it.
Mrs Gramps and I watchedConclave last night. Great movie, nominated for 8 Oscars plus a ton of other nominations. Presents a very interesting question: could a intersex/hermaphrodite person be named as the next pope?
The cinemas in my town between them are still playing all the Oscar contenders. In write up's of those nominated contenders for Best Picture, only one of them sounded of interest to both Marama and me, namely <i>Conclave</i>.
We both found it well worth the first time we'd made to cinema for several months. In advance I was a bit worried that almost all the characters were mostly all wearing Cardinal costumes, but turned out that they were easily enough to tell them separate.
And the topic of the film, namely electing a new Pope after the death of the previous one, adds now a topicality as current Pope Francis is an age getting on , and has been in hospital in critical condition for the past week or so.
Mrs Gramps and I watched The Whale (2022) last night. The setting was close to home. It was about a morbidly obese college professor who was teaching an online college course of composition. It supposedly is set in Moscow ID which is eight miles from where we live. It made a few geographical references that we could recognize. We even have a friend who does teach an online course on English composition, but our friend is female. On Netflix.
Finally got around to seeing Paddington and wasn't sure whether to put this comment here or on the Streaming thread, as that's where we watched it.
I enjoyed the film, particularly seeing Simon Farnaby as he's appeared in the two previous films. I was sorry to see that Sally Hawkins was not in the role of Mrs Brown, as she's played that so nicely in the first two films. I always love Julie Walters as Mrs Bird. Cheery daughter thought the idea of two villains wasn't necessary and didn't add to the plotline. I did enjoy Olivia Colman's creepy nun though!
Of course a happy ending is the order of the day and we enjoyed watching this together as a family.
Finally A Complete Unknown turned up on Prime. I'm a Dylan nerd and saw it before Christmas at a preview screening. However being deaf I could only get about 20% of the dialogue if that. Seeing it at home with subtitles meant I could see what the director was attempting much more clearly.
Our local film club showed The Bands Visit last night.
I had suggested it and was nervous about how it would be received. Everyone enjoyed it, however.
I finally finished my last assignment from law school last night (almost 20 years after graduating…) and watched My Cousin Vinnie. Our evidence prof assigned it to us as a sort of practical instruction in evidence law, but somehow I never got around to watching it.
It’s a well made movie, and very funny in places, though chock full of improbable coincidences.
I saw Thunderbolts* the day before yesterday. Really enjoyable if you have seen the other MCU movies, probably incomprehensible if you haven't. I have seen enough of them that I enjoyed it.
I saw Thunderbolts* the day before yesterday. Really enjoyable if you have seen the other MCU movies, probably incomprehensible if you haven't. I have seen enough of them that I enjoyed it.
Trump is imposing a 100% tariff on foreign films, because according to him the American Film Industry is "dying a very fast death," which I can only imagine is a feature, not a bug, of this move. Who hates Hollywood more than the MAGA Right?
Trump is imposing a 100% tariff on foreign films, because according to him the American Film Industry is "dying a very fast death," which I can only imagine is a feature, not a bug, of this move. Who hates Hollywood more than the MAGA Right?
Not quite right. The tariff is supposed to be on any firm produced abroad. That would include an American film that is produced, say in Germany, assuming it needs German scenes for reality. But there is more. Many films in these days are produced around the globe. The story boards can be drawn in the United States, The computer generated scenes were produced in several countries. Other on location scenes worldwide. The editing may start in Asia, and then move to India, then Europe with final production in England. There are really no 100% American films that I know of these days.
I saw Sinners in the theater yesterday - highly recommend. I am not at all a horror fan, but this was the most amazing thing I've seen in a long time. Black people's real lives in the Jim Crow American South, horror movie tropes, a sublime score, big set pieces, compelling performances, all blended. It was very moving, and I'll be thinking about it for a long time. If you see it, stay through the credits, all of them.
I watched an Australian movie called The Castle over the weekend (not to be confused with an Austrian movie of the same name released in the same year...). It was introduced to me by a colleague who shared this excerpt of some hilariously bad lawyering with me:
The broader story is about a Melbourne working class family who are in danger of losing their home to an airport expansion. It ends better for them than this excerpt would lead one to expect. It's very funny in places and at 83 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome.
Comments
Because of the limited budget and often using Black actors with little or no experience in film acting, these movies may seem primitive, but Micheaux imbues them with surprising depth and imagery that will remain in one's memory. I long ago decided that he would be on my list of "Historic People That You'd Like To Have Dinner With."
Spoilers!
It's a case of willy won't he (or she?)
We both found it well worth the first time we'd made to cinema for several months. In advance I was a bit worried that almost all the characters were mostly all wearing Cardinal costumes, but turned out that they were easily enough to tell them separate.
And the topic of the film, namely electing a new Pope after the death of the previous one, adds now a topicality as current Pope Francis is an age getting on , and has been in hospital in critical condition for the past week or so.
I enjoyed the film, particularly seeing Simon Farnaby as he's appeared in the two previous films. I was sorry to see that Sally Hawkins was not in the role of Mrs Brown, as she's played that so nicely in the first two films. I always love Julie Walters as Mrs Bird. Cheery daughter thought the idea of two villains wasn't necessary and didn't add to the plotline. I did enjoy Olivia Colman's creepy nun though!
Of course a happy ending is the order of the day and we enjoyed watching this together as a family.
Upbeat heroism? Yes please!
Krypto at last, too! ❤️
(Now we just need Streaky… 🐈)
I had suggested it and was nervous about how it would be received. Everyone enjoyed it, however.
It’s a well made movie, and very funny in places, though chock full of improbable coincidences.
I’m eager to see it as well!
Trying to avoid spoilers…
Not quite right. The tariff is supposed to be on any firm produced abroad. That would include an American film that is produced, say in Germany, assuming it needs German scenes for reality. But there is more. Many films in these days are produced around the globe. The story boards can be drawn in the United States, The computer generated scenes were produced in several countries. Other on location scenes worldwide. The editing may start in Asia, and then move to India, then Europe with final production in England. There are really no 100% American films that I know of these days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJuXIq7OazQ
The broader story is about a Melbourne working class family who are in danger of losing their home to an airport expansion. It ends better for them than this excerpt would lead one to expect. It's very funny in places and at 83 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome.
Great film.