kiddo82

I'm still mad they didn't submit Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

I wish I liked this as much as some of the reviewers I follow who I really respect. I *liked* it in the theater, but it wasn't something that stayed under my skin. It's a shame France chose not to submit it to the academy for international film though. (A country may only choose one film for consideration.) I kind of hope it gets a best picture nom just to stick it to them. I think the

Human/Fishman fornication

Thankfully I didn't see this one with my parents but I still think about the time I saw The Shape of Water with my dad. If I could have allowed myself to get swallowed up by my movie theater seat, I would have.

Yeah. I've seen enough of Vincent D'Onfrio in other things to know he's a good actor. But I just don't like his choices as Kingpin. It's like a Nicholas Cage performance before Nicholas Cage was in on the joke.

Sorry. It's a bad word play on the title using the brand of soap called Dial.

So Mean Girls had already made back it's budget. There is still work to be done in order for it to be deemed profitable but this is obviously a huge first step. I didn't care for Anyone But You--my love for Glenn Powell not withstanding--but it has reportedly grossed 83,000,000 off of a reported 25 million budget. Also, it's estimated that Wonka has achieved profitability off of a reported 125 million dollar budget. Add in that Barbie (145 million dollar budget) and Oppenheimer (100 million) were giant moneymakers.* Hopefully the studios will learn that a bloated budget doesn't necessarily equal big bucks and they should focus on making good movies that people like. But they probably wont. *Not that 100+ million dollar budget is anything to sneeze at, but it's nothing compared to the 200+ budgets of movies like The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones and Dial Hand Soap, The Flash (which could have cost as much as 300!!), Mission Impossible 23: Tom Cruise Runs Some More, etc. And it's not that these movies don't bring in money, it's just not enough money to justify their budgets. And fewer and fewer of them have enough legs these days.

I think D'Onfrio's acting as Kingpin is distractingly bad. I can't even take the character seriously.

I really liked The Mick.

I don't dislike Paul Rudd but he does fall into this category of generically good looking, affable, white dudes who get universal love despite being pretty one note. (See also Ryan Reynolds.) It's not their fault, and more power to them for that, but it does seem like they get away with playing the same types of roles over and over while others might get criticized for not stretching themselves. My UO is I have listened to a few episodes of the podcast Smart/Less with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes and I can only put up with it if they interview a guest I'm interested in. I think the only one who comes across really well is Sean Hayes. Bateman and Arnett seem as if they are trying too hard to be the funniest person in the room and it's a turn off.

Correct!

Could the ending have taken place in Oliver's head? Unreliable narrator and all that.

Did you ever see that scene from the Office where the rest of the office can't remember if Stanley has a mustache or not? And it's all the funnier because as an audience member you're like, "Wait. Does he?" That was me watching Giamatti's eye during the movie. I couldn't tell you for sure if it was or wasn't how I remember him looking prior.

I get that they probably didn't want to just cast all of the original supporting roles but I think Busy Phillips over Amy Poehler is a step down. Ironically, Amy Poehler is more age appropriate now to play the mom of a 16 year old than she was 20 years ago.

The masks was great shorthand for the passage of one time frame to another.

This always bears repeating. Mary Hatch had perfectly adequate vision but because George Bailey had never been born she suddenly required correction.

I read Jim Henson's biography a few years ago and it got to me watch Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas. That special totally deserves a place in the pantheon. A Christmas Story is one of those movies I like but also know I can't defend. 90% of it is the nostalgia pull but I do think the Old Man is genuinely funny. "Son of a bitch would freeze up in the middle of summer on the equator!" I know why it can't run ad nauseum on Freeform all month, but Bad Santa deserves the place in the conversation that Elf has.

These are some of my biggest problems watching back as an adult. Kate Mccallister hasn't slept until 8 a.m. a day since Buzz was born, probably even before, and you cannot convince me otherwise. No way she oversleeps with a house full of people knowing they have a flight in the a.m. In fact, not a single one of the "fifteen people" in the house got up at 6 to go pee and realized everyone was still asleep? And two, not only are Kevin's traps the work of an engineering prodigy who should be recruited by MIT, but at least a few of them rely on happenstance. If Marv hadn't tried to go through the basement first he would've have taken his shoes off and the glass ornaments by the window wouldn't have mattered. And Harry and Marv would've have even made it into the house in the first place because those initial falls on the stairs would have caused some irreversible complications up to and including death. And to top to of off, the house was immaculate the next morning. He cleaned up all the evidence in an evening? And shouldn't the place have still been swarming with cops or crime scene tape or something? Did Kevin destroy evidence? I agree it was fun as a kid, and it makes for fine background noise this time of year, but it's not good. I feel like the only part of the movie that truly holds up for me is Katherine O'Hara. Her rants are still fun.

Funny. I was just going to post in another thread about Anne Hathaway but here seems like a good excuse to respond. I was just thinking how I recently saw Eileen and if this is how Anne Hathaway is pivoting from her ingenue days I am here for it.

I like that idea. Seems like a low risk with a decent-ish (?) upside financially. Bigger families still might opt out but there are always the dorks (me) who if given the opportunity would like to see these on a big screen.

https://www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2023/11/14/we-truly-are-living-in-a-multiverse-of-madness-and-it-needs-to-stop/amp/?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From %1%24s&aoh=17000162945778&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Ferikkain%2F2023%2F11%2F14%2Fwe-truly-are-living-in-a-multiverse-of-madness-and-it-needs-to-stop%2F If everything matters then nothing does.

THANK you! When Apple Bottom Jeans started up I was distracted thinking "Wait. When is this supposed to take place again? Because I feel like this song was later." I saw this as part of a three movie day last Friday. Move over, Barbemheimer. I present to you: WishBurnGames. I liked not loved it. The twist wasn't all that surprising but I was still engaged throughout. I think Fennell's direction made up for a lot for me. The breakfast scene (lunch scene?) after they find Felix's body was simultaneously funny and horrifying. I think this one might also get better on rewatch. There were two older teen girls on my theater, probably there because of Jacob Elordi, who couldn't contain some of their incredulous gasps. On the way out I heard one say to the other "I thought this would be a fun teen movie." 🤣

Disney conditioned their audience for this. I don't blame people for waiting for Disney+ especially those with families. Remember, Encanto was a box office dud and it didn't catch fire until it was available to stream.

I appreciate how in the The Santa Clause movies all the Elf extras are played by actual little kids. Are they the most professional? No. But that's the point. I mean this as a compliment, it feels very 2nd grade pageant where everything is earnest and guileless which is how it should be in a trilogy such as this. What better way to experience how awesome and magical the North Pole is supposed to be than through their reactions.

I've seen the musical and it's fun if you're a fan of the movie, if not 100% memorable. I recently refamilarized myself with the cast album and I snort laughed at some Karen and Gretchen moments I forgot. But I think the trailer here sets a darker tone while the actual music is pretty pop-Broadway. I'm looking forward to it but the marketing is confusing.