Rule 32: Enjoy the Little Things

[AimingforYoko]

2 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

Its like if a movie in 2021 was nostalgic about 2010!

You're not?

[Blergh]

18 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

You're not?

Ah, but the irony is that many folks in the 2010's were nostalgic about the 1990's, folks in the 1990's were nostalgic about the 1970's, folks in the 1970's were nostalgic about the 1950's and so on and so on and so on! LOL

[Wiendish Fitch]

Gaslight:

In one scene where Paula and Gregory are embracing, his hand is very briefly clutching her throat in a none-too-romantic way. A subtle, effective hint at Gregory's true identity.

Okay, fine, we knew it all along, but I always appreciate intelligent visual storytelling, unlike the annoying play-by-play narration of the recent Witches remake.

Edited February 5, 2021 by Wiendish Fitch
'Cause his name is Gregory, not Gregor. You're slipping, WF.

[Mabinogia]

5 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Gaslight:

In one scene where Paula and Gregory are embracing, his hand is very briefly clutching her throat in a none-too-romantic way. A subtle, effective hint at Gregory's true identity.

Okay, fine, we knew it all along, but I always appreciate intelligent visual storytelling, unlike the annoying play-by-play narration of the recent Witches remake.

I love stuff like that, where, on first watch you might not even notice, or realize the meaning of the moment, but on rewatch you're like OMG that is some brilliant forshadowing there! I love catching things the second time around that I overlooked the first time as meaningless. 

[DearEvette]

On 6/23/2019 at 7:41 PM, Wiendish Fitch said:

I love how in My Cousin Vinny, Vinny and Lisa may bicker and aren't above being shrill and tactless with one another, but whenever we see them sleeping in bed, they're always cuddled super close. That is real love, and you can tell how truly devoted they are to each other. 

I just watched My Cousin Vinny because there is a post on The MarySue about lawyer movies that lawyers rate highly and My Cousin Vinny is one that is cited over and over again.  I learned that it is actually used as a teaching material and judges and law professors often cite it as a great example of the rules of the trial litigation. The one thing it fails on is the depiction of the bumbling public defender.

Anyway, I fired it up. And there is one scene where the DA is giving his opening statement and he make some comment about the word 'verdict' meaning 'truth' and that it is an old english word that comes from "England, where all our ancestors came from " and the camera cuts to and settles on the face of an  African-American juror who has a 'WTF' look on her face.   LOL.

[Shannon L.]

10 hours ago, DearEvette said:

I just watched My Cousin Vinny because there is a post on The MarySue about lawyer movies that lawyers rate highly and My Cousin Vinny is one that is cited over and over again.  I learned that it is actually used as a teaching material and judges and law professors often cite it as a great example of the rules of the trial litigation. The one thing it fails on is the depiction of the bumbling public defender.

One day, a few years ago, when I was taking a college course, we could hear My Cousin Vinny playing from the other classroom.

Edited February 7, 2021 by Shannon L.

[Spartan Girl]

I love the scene in Matilda where she’s just playing with her friends and helping them catching the newt, because it subverts the trope that the Smart Girl is always a loner. The other kids knew Matilda was smarter than them but they never treated her like a freak.

[Shannon L.]

On 6/23/2019 at 6:04 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

Or how they made up when Lisa refused to testify, but changed her mind after she saw the pictures of the actual getaway car, I think.😂😄😄

I love how proud of her he was when she was testifying. 

In Thor: Ragnarok, I can't tell you how disappointed I would have been if they had left out the "hey big guy, the sun's getting real low..." moment during his fight with the Hulk. The fact that he kept repeating "sun's getting low, sun's getting low..." whenever there was a stressful moment that made him afraid the Hulk was going to resurface made it even better.

[Spartan Girl]

The Take did a video about 13 Going On 30 and it brought up a detail that up til now I overlooked: Matt breaks the Nice Guy Trope! He’s the awkward nerd that pines for Jenna, but even when she rejected him and ended their friendship to join the Six Chicks, he didn’t get angry or bitter, he just moved on! When Jenna came back into his life, he was kind to her even though he hadn’t seen her in years. And even old feelings arose, he knew better than to dump his fiancée for her.

Well played, movie!

Edited June 19, 2021 by Spartan Girl

[Ms Blue Jay]

Mark is a dream in so many of those movies.  That's a great tidbit @Spartan Girl

[Shannon L.]

I was watching Infinity War yesterday (again) and there's one brief moment that makes me laugh out loud every time.  Peter Quill is obviously jealous of Thor from before he's even conscious and it becomes more and more obvious as Thor wakes up and starts talking to the group. When Thor tells Gamora that he feels her pain and puts his hand on her shoulder, Peter gently pushes his way in between them and says "I, too, feel your pain", then immediately turns to Thor.  It sounds rude, but damn, there's something about the look on Chris Pratt's face and his delivery of the line that just kills me.  

[Spartan Girl]

A detail that struck me in The Color Purple is in when Shug stops Celie from slitting Albert’s throat while shaving him is how even when he realizes that she was trying to kill him, she keeps glaring at him dead in the eye. That is what truly rattles him in that moment: she knows that he knows and she isn’t afraid of what he might do to her. She isn’t afraid of him anymore, period, and he realizes that.

Remind me again why the hell Whoopi didn’t get the Oscar for this movie again?! Or Danny Glover, Oprah, Spielberg or just every category it was nominated for in general?! 

[Spartan Girl]

The confrontation between Fredo and Michael in Godfather Part II is iconic, but it’s Fredo’s pained, plaintive little “Mikey…” as Michael walks away that always gets me.

[Shannon L.]

We watched Free Guy again last night and while the whole movie is full of great moments (the casting was perfect, imo), the moment at the end, when Millie calls out to Keys and his face goes from confusion as to why she's there to understanding that she finally knows how he feels about her and that she feels the same way, is so darn sweet and charming.  I just love that moment. 

[Shannon L.]

Three from Marvel's Spider-Man movies: 

1. The opening sequence of part two with "I Will Love You" played over a student made memorial for the lost Avengers, complete with a final shot of candles with the word "Getty Images" faintly showing over them was perfect and just what you'd expect from a high school presentation. 

2. And, in the first one, the director using the original theme song over the opening credits, then slipping in the famous "Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man" line.

[Spartan Girl]

Sense and Sensibility: When Colonel Brandon finishes reading to a convalescing Marienne and tells her he’s going away for awhile, she asks “You won’t stay away long?” in such a plaintive way that gets me to this day.

Alan Rickman, how I miss you.

[Browncoat]

15 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Alan Rickman, how I miss you.

Always.

[methodwriter85]

I always liked how it was believable that Paul Lynde and Mary LaRoche could produce someone who looks like Ann Margret in Bye Bye Birdie.

Edited to add: I really think this so I'm not sure why this is getting laughs? Ann Margret looks like she could have inherited Mary LaRoche's facial bone structure and Paul Lynde's eyes.  She looks like believeable offspring.

Movies tend to care less about casting for family resemblances.

Edited January 6, 2022 by methodwriter85

[Spartan Girl]

Something I loved in the new West Side Story was how throughly Valentina ripped the Jets a new one after they tried to gang rape Anita. In the original, all Doc does is whine “you damn kids make the world lousy” which lets the Jets whine back that they weren’t ones that “made the world.” Which pretty much glosses over what they just tried to do.

Not this version. Valentina lets them have it, no holds barred: “I’ve watched you grow up. I know all your names…and you’ve grown up into  rapists. You dishonor yourselves and your dead.” 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻

Edited January 4, 2022 by Spartan Girl

[Spartan Girl]

Cyrano: Peter Dinklage’s hopeful then heartbroken face when Roxanne’s confession turns out to be that she’s in love with another man was a masterpiece. Say what you want about the singing, but he nailed the role like we always knew he would.

Also I appreciated the final moments of the end

Spoiler

when they share their first and sadly only kiss, how desperately he kisses her back. You can feel the cruel irony knowing he is finally getting the one thing he’s always wanted right when he’s about to die.

 

[Browncoat]

I really want to see Cyrano, but none of the theaters around here have deigned to show it.  I have seen Dinklage's face in the previews, though, and agree, @Spartan Girl, that it is a masterpiece.  He is a brilliant actor.

[Spartan Girl]

2 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I really want to see Cyrano, but none of the theaters around here have deigned to show it.  I have seen Dinklage's face in the previews, though, and agree, @Spartan Girl, that it is a masterpiece.  He is a brilliant actor.

It’s on rental now.

[Spartan Girl]

The “Earth Angel” scene in Back to the Future is one of the greatest cinematic moments ever. Having the score swell and merge with “Earth Angel” right at the moment of the kiss just hits in all the feels.

This video explains it in more detail:

 

[Spartan Girl]

Estelle Harris’s passing makes me reflect on all the best Mrs. Potato-Head moments in the Toy Story series. I know everyone’s favorite is her packing the “angry eyes, just in case” and “Don’t talk to any toy ya don’t know!” in Toy Story 2. While I did love those bits, for me, nothing beats her justified outrage when Lotso condescendingly calls her “sweet potato” in Toy Story 3.

On a related subject, I did love how Buzz and Woody’s post-Scud fears about Andy getting a puppy were subverted by having Buster be raised as a lovable and loyal pet who is in on the toys’ secret life. That’s one of the smart writing choices that made the sequels so great.

Edited April 4, 2022 by Spartan Girl

[DearEvette]

In the movie Little Shop of Horrors (starring Rick Moranis) one of my very favorite scenes of the whole movie is the 'Suppertime' scene.

Fantastic scene.  The moody music.  That baseline.  The composition. etc.  But my very favorite thing about the whole scene is how the ladies are deployed in this scene.  I always called them the Greek chorus but in this scene they are more like Sirens luring poor Seymour to his doom.

I love the way they ooze out of the alley, the rise and fall of their harmony when they sing the word 'Suppertime' (they make the word 'time' into four syllables).  They are always filmed in shadow or silhouette but you see the glitter of their dress through the darkness.  I love the one little shot of just their shoes click, click, clicking across the floor as they walk -- still in shadow.  And then they ooze back into the alley once their mission has been accomplished.

I swear I think I watched this scene like 100 times.  LOL.

 

[Shannon L.]

Channing Tatum was so much fun in The Lost City-he played up his part so well.  But, there was a scene where he was dancing with one of the older towns people and then with Sandra, where his demeanor changed from silly to......I don't know the right word to use. I want to say "comfort", but he was obviously comfortable playing silly.  Anyway, he was so present and serious--that's probably the right word--in that moment, I guess because he was a dancer first.  The dance had a Latin flare, so there was a lot of hip swiveling.  The way he looked with both women, the way he moved in those few minutes, was sexier than anything I saw in both Magic Mike movies.

[Spartan Girl]

On 4/5/2022 at 3:29 PM, Shannon L. said:

Channing Tatum was so much fun in The Lost City-he played up his part so well.  But, there was a scene where he was dancing with one of the older towns people and then with Sandra, where his demeanor changed from silly to......I don't know the right word to use. I want to say "comfort", but he was obviously comfortable playing silly.  Anyway, he was so present and serious--that's probably the right word--in that moment, I guess because he was a dancer first.  The dance had a Latin flare, so there was a lot of hip swiveling.  The way he looked with both women, the way he moved in those few minutes, was sexier than anything I saw in both Magic Mike movies.

Having just seen this, I wholeheartedly agree.

Channing’s character was one of the best parts of the movie. I really loved how they subverted the initial characterization of him as a dumb male model. Yes, he was a bit dim, but he was so sweet. He was totally crushing on Sandra, and was thoughtful enough to bring her shoes and make sure she was hydrated. And I loved the moment he opened up about how initially embarrassed he was to be on the cover of a trashy romance novel series until he met one of the fans who was excited to meet him, and realized there was no shame in being a part of something that made people happy. And you know what? He’s right. We all have different tastes, and just because we don’t like something doesn’t mean we should dismiss the people that do as stupid.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Spartan Girl

[Shannon L.]

7 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Having just seen this, I wholeheartedly agree.

Channing’s character was one of the best parts of the movie. I really loved how they subverted the initial characterization of him as a dumb male model. Yes, he was a bit dim, but he was so sweet. He was totally crushing on Sandra, and was thoughtful enough to bring her shoes and make sure she was hydrated. And I loved the moment he opened up about how initially embarrassed he was to be on the cover of a trashy romance novel series until he met one of the fans who was excited to meet him, and realized there was no shame in being a part of something that made people happy. And you know what? He’s right. We all have different tastes, and just because we don’t like something doesn’t mean we should dismiss the people that do as stupid,

I wish I could add more, but I can't--you said it perfectly.  I'm don't know a lot Channing's other roles.  Of the movies I have seen him in, the only ones I'm really familiar with, because I've watched them repeatedly, is White House Down (a guilty pleasure) and Free Guy (which is awesome).  I honestly don't remember how he was in the few other movies I've seen.  He was the action hero in WHD and completely silly (and fun!) in FG, so, this dim, sweet, charming character he plays in LC is new to me and I loved it.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Toy Story 2: Bo Peep getting her sheep to behave by cab whistling. It now feels like foreshadowing of her tough cookie persona that she reveals in Toy Story 4. 

[Spartan Girl]

Dirty Dancing: The beginning of the “Wipeout” montage when Baby is practicing the mambo steps on the bridge and gets pissed off when she messes up the steps, contrasted when she later finds her groove and does a little split to celebrate feeling confident and sexy (when nobody’s looking). I always let out a little “You go, Jeannie Bueller!”

Yeah, I think Jeannie and Baby are two sides to the same coin: “good girls” with a solid conviction of what is and isn’t fair. The only difference was that Baby wasn’t angry and frustrated because she was very much the golden favorite in her family.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Death on the Nile (1978):

Spoiler

Early on, just after Lynette and Simon's wedding, they're sexily dancing the tango at a hotel. As a diehard Singin' in the Rain fan, I instantly recognized the song they were dancing to: "I Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'". Hmmmm....

Note to screenwriters: subtlety and foreshadowing are your friends!

[Spartan Girl]

Wonder Woman: “They were killing each other. Killing people they cannot see. Children — CHILDREN!”

The way she screamed out that last part with such breathless horror always gets me.

Edited May 25, 2022 by Spartan Girl

[Spartan Girl]

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade:

This has to be the greatest transition shot in history. The theme swelling as he gets the fedora, then the closeup of Harrison’s roguish grin…then he gets punched in the face and even that doesn’t spoil the mood.

[Spartan Girl]

For Olivia Newton John: we can argue about Grease all day, but the one thing I loved about Sandy? She was kind. Kinder than she ought to have been at times? Maybe. But when Rizzo was getting crap for supposedly getting pregnant, Sandy was one of the few people that offered her support without any judgment. And this after Rizzo spent the better part of the movie mocking her behind her back.

[Annber03]

Another thing I always liked in that movie was when one of the staff at school asked how many days until Christmas vacation, and Sandy mentioned the exact number and was like, "I'm counting." Relatable :D. 

[methodwriter85]

5 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

For Olivia Newton John: we can argue about Grease all day, but the one thing I loved about Sandy? She was kind. Kinder than she ought to have been at times? Maybe. But when Rizzo was getting crap for supposedly getting pregnant, Sandy was one of the few people that offered her support without any judgment. And this after Rizzo spent the better part of the movie mocking her behind her back.

I always liked that being contrasted with Pattie Simcox, who was superficially friendly but not actually kind.

R.I.P. "Sandy." 

[Spartan Girl]

You know, I don’t think Sandy gets enough credit in the finale. People are quick to dismiss her makeover as “all for Danny” but here’s a revolutionary idea: maybe it was what she wanted. Maybe she was tired of having to live up to the good girl image and wanted to try something new. We all want to reinvent ourselves and our fashion choices in our lives; if she decided it was time to take charge of her own sexuality, then good for her.

And don’t forget that in “You’re the One That I Want” she is the one telling Danny that he had to shape up if they’re going to work. She is the one taking charge and calling the shots, so it’s not like she’s being a pushover.

[Shannon L.]

I still think the movie is a bit problematic, especially because Sandy's transformation was so extreme (setting aside @Spartan Girl 's thought provoking way of looking at it), let's not forget that Danny was trying to change, too.  He knew he'd probably get shit from his friends, but he was willing to try shaping up for her.

Edited August 9, 2022 by Shannon L.

[Spartan Girl]

6 minutes ago, Shannon L. said:

I still think the movie is a bit problematic, especially because Sandy's transformation was so extreme (setting aside @Spartan Girl 's thought provoking way of looking at it), let's not forget that Danny was trying to change, too.  He knew he'd probably get shit from his friends, but he was willing to try shaping up for her.

Danny and Kenickie could be jerks, but they were still way better than the losers that were the T-Birds in Grease 2. That sequel was ten times way more problematic than the original.

But that's for another thread.

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, Shannon L. said:

let's not forget that Danny was trying to change, too.  He knew he'd probably get shit from his friends, but he was willing to try shaping up for her.

So many people overlook this part and only focus on how Sandy "tarted herself" up and it peeves me. Because Danny had already decided he was going to do whatever it took to get Sandy back because he loved her.

That Sandy decided to change herself, is separate. And I've stated I absolutely disagree with those critics about what Sandy "was forced to do" or had to do to get Danny.

[andromeda331]

The first time I watched Grease with my mom right as it got to the end where Sandy shows up all changed. My mom turned and told me this was her favorite part of the movie but don't ever change yourself for a guy. 

I do wish we got to see if Sandy's change was a phase like Danny trying to change for her or she decided that's who she wanted to be. A line from Sandy would have helped. I like that Danny tried to change for her too. It didn't work because that's not who he is. I like when couples try to change because they think that's what the other one wants but have it fail or the other person telling them they don't want them to change.

Edited August 10, 2022 by andromeda331

[Blergh]

On 8/8/2022 at 6:11 PM, Annber03 said:

Another thing I always liked in that movie was when one of the staff at school asked how many days until Christmas vacation, and Sandy mentioned the exact number and was like, "I'm counting." Relatable :D. 

It was Alice Ghostley who played the school's custodian (!) [who'd evidently had inherited the job from her late husband] who asked that. IMO, a little dash of her helped virtually EVERY production she was in and it was great Grease had her but I just wish they'd had MORE of her (as well as other old school pros such as Eve Arden, Sid Caesar and Dody Goodman). 

Edited August 13, 2022 by Blergh

[proserpina65]

On 8/9/2022 at 11:19 AM, Spartan Girl said:

You know, I don’t think Sandy gets enough credit in the finale. People are quick to dismiss her makeover as “all for Danny” but here’s a revolutionary idea: maybe it was what she wanted. Maybe she was tired of having to live up to the good girl image and wanted to try something new. We all want to reinvent ourselves and our fashion choices in our lives; if she decided it was time to take charge of her own sexuality, then good for her.

And don’t forget that in “You’re the One That I Want” she is the one telling Danny that he had to shape up if they’re going to work. She is the one taking charge and calling the shots, so it’s not like she’s being a pushover.

I'd buy this if it had been a little more gradual and less extreme.  But it wasn't, so I'm sticking with hating it.

[kiddo82]

Age of Ultron:  after Ultron's attack on the Stark Tower party (the party in and of itself is full of great moments) you have the team regrouping and Maria, Natasha, and Helen are all either wearing jackets/sweaters over their dresses or in Nat's case has changed entirely.*  This is such an authentic touch as any women who has spent a long night in semi-formal wear knows.  Maria was even wearing the jacket before the attack during the little after party they were having.  

*This last example may have been for real world purposes as Scarlett Johansson was pregnant at the time.  And we all know Natasha's sartorial choices are not always the most practical to begin with.  

Edited August 14, 2022 by kiddo82

[Dandesun]

On 8/9/2022 at 10:36 AM, GHScorpiosRule said:

So many people overlook this part and only focus on how Sandy "tarted herself" up and it peeves me. Because Danny had already decided he was going to do whatever it took to get Sandy back because he loved her.

That Sandy decided to change herself, is separate. And I've stated I absolutely disagree with those critics about what Sandy "was forced to do" or had to do to get Danny.

The whole bit after the race where Frenchie saw Sandy and went up to her and asked her if she was happy and Sandy flat out said 'No I'm not but I think I know how I can be. Will you help me?' That was huge and it often gets overlooked, I feel. Sandy wasn't happy with how things were... with how SHE was and she had her own ideas about how to fix it and asked her friend to help her.

MEANWHILE, there's Danny lettering in track and saying flat out 'You guys mean a lot to me but Sandy does too and I'll do whatever it takes to get her back.'

They were both calling the shots in their decisions. That Sandy's transformation was so extreme in comparison doesn't necessarily mean she gave up her own agency. She made the decision to do so because she wasn't happy.

[Mabinogia]

26 minutes ago, Dandesun said:

They were both calling the shots in their decisions. That Sandy's transformation was so extreme in comparison doesn't necessarily mean she gave up her own agency. She made the decision to do so because she wasn't happy.

I do think her change was about what she wanted. If Danny took one look at "new" Sandy and dumped her, I don't think she'd go back to her old self because it wasn't about him. He was just a catalyst for her finding out who she really was. I am less certain about Danny. If Sandy dumped him would he fall back into his old ways or continue to try for a better future for himself. 

I think it would be far easier for him to go back to being a "bad boy" than it would for her to go back to being a "good girl". 

[Schweedie]

There's a great little zombie flick on Netflix called Cargo, with Martin Freeman, about a man who's been bitten and tries to figure out where to leave his baby daughter before he turns (in this version, you have 48 hours and there are bracelets you put that count down for you).

Right at the end, after he's turned and is about to be put out of his misery, his companion stops it in order to spray some of his wife's perfume in front of him first, and that brief moment of serenity on his face when he recognises the scent is just heartbreaking and wonderful.

[Spartan Girl]

I know the new Little Mermaid hasn’t come out yet, but the soulful, yearning way Halle Bailey sings “Out of the sea, wish I could be” gets me every time I watch the trailer.

Edited January 18, 2023 by Spartan Girl

[BlueSkies]

I grew up with a big crush on Madonna but this was the sexiest use of a cheese product I ever watched on film.  Lol.

 

Whenever someone yells cheese to take a picture this still comes in my mind

 

 

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 6/23/2019 at 7:41 PM, Wiendish Fitch said:

I love how in My Cousin Vinny, Vinny and Lisa may bicker and aren't above being shrill and tactless with one another, but whenever we see them sleeping in bed, they're always cuddled super close. That is real love, and you can tell how truly devoted they are to each other. 

This is such an old post but I wanted to quote it because this is one of my favourite movies and I really agree.

I always whine about May-December relationships in the movies where the man is older, and yet, this is one coupling that I really love.  Why?  Because Mona Lisa and Vinny really love each other, and you can tell.  They have so much chemistry and the couple feels really real.

In real life, Marisa Tomei wanted to audition for "A League of their Own", so Joe Pesci was trying to coach her in playing baseball.    How cute is that? 🥰  She was hopeless at it unfortunately.😄

From IMDB trivia:

Quote

Marisa Tomei filmed an audition tape of her playing baseball, being coached by Joe Pesci, on the set of My Cousin Vinny (1992), but according to Penny Marshall, she just wasn't a ball player.

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay