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CA Dreamin

Gender: Male
Location: LA

I want to rescind my recommendation of canceling your streaming subscriptions in response to the ongoing film industry work stoppages. After consideration, I don't think that would help the workers, nor the wealth gap in the industry. Yes, it would take money away from the producers, but it would take money away from everybody else too. Canceling your subscriptions could even backfire and embolden the AMPTP to give harsher terms in the negotiations on the grounds of 'scripted film/TV entertainment is a shrinking business.' So don't cancel your Netflix, Max, Disney+, etc (or, if you do cancel, and they ask why, make sure to say it's in protest to support the strikers). It's important for the money to keep flowing. If you want to help the workers, the usual voicing support and/or donating to strike fundraisers would be fine. You could also skip big budget movies in theaters on opening weekend. In case you didn't know, opening weekend and second weekend box office splits heavily favor the production companies over the theaters. Waiting until the third weekend or later would help. I know that sounds crazy when Barbie and Oppenheimer are on our doorsteps, but hey, they'll still be in your local cinema in early August, haha.

However, it seems many people worldwide have been skipping the theaters altogether for summer blockbuster season. As mentioned, Guardians 3, Flash, Little Mermaid, Elemental, Transformers, Indiana Jones 5, Fast X, and even this past weekend's Mission Impossible 7...all these films are somewhere between 'profiting, but not profiting up to hopes/expectations' and 'completely bombing.' Even though I just said it's important to keep financially supporting the business for the sake of the strikes, I haven't watched any of these movies either. Cause I don't blame people for not wanting to spend money on tired franchises and unnecessary remakes. It's a bit of a catch-22, isn't it? GO TO THE MOVIES, SUPPORT THE INDUSTRY, SUPPORT THE STRIKES, SUPPORT THE WORKERS...but ugh, who actually wants to support this formulaic franchise-driven system anymore?

Strangely I've found comfort in two low-to-mid budget R-rated comedies this summer (the only other movies I've seen in theaters since May 1 in addition to Master Gardener, SV 2, and Asteroid City)...

No Hard Feelings is a simply a fun movie to kick back and enjoy. A callback to simple sex/relationship comedies that were popular in the 80s, 90s, and the early 2000s, and have been sorely missed in recent years. It has the self-awareness to realize trends in humor have changed, demonstrated by a scene where the couple goes to a high school party, and J-Law says something that would not have caused a fuss 15 years ago, but causes outrage at the party. No Hard Feelings also criticizes over-parenting and its potentially harmful effects when children become adults. But anyway, as ludicrous as the premise is, and as different as the characters are, the chemistry between them works because they share something in common...they're victims of circumstances out of their control, and their relationship mutually benefits them, giving them a chance to overcome their lives' obstacles, even though their relationship is bound to fail. And for the most part, the humor lands, whether it be the awkward sexual humor or the random ridiculous action sequence. You gotta suspend your disbelief at points, some of gags are very predictable, and I find the very ending hokey and overly feelgood. But overall, No Hard Feelings is a fun 6/10.

On the other hand, Joy Ride feels like a more modern comedy. More of a callback to The Hangover for its 4-person 'wolfpack' camaraderie and their quest to find a loved one, and Bridesmaids for its 'women being the gross and immature ones.' Tack on the recent movie trend of Asian-Americans and their cultural identities, and that's Joy Ride in a nutshell. Clearly a film meant to continue the string of successful movies about Asian-Americans (e.g. CRA, Minari, EEAA1). But unfortunately this film is a mixed bag. The main character is great, but the other three are underdeveloped or not very likable. Thus, the disgusting humor had to make up for it. I'm sure it worked for some viewers, but for me the humor gags only landed at about 50%. The club scene with Ronnie Chieng and drug scene on the train were funny enough, but other comedy gags felt way too forced to earn a laugh. But then, there was Joy Ride's serious side, where the main character has to discover and come to terms with her family history. It takes way too long for this to get going (not until the hour-mark), but it hits effectively once it does, creating a very satisfying ending and elevating the gross-out farce into 6/10 territory.

So in No Hard Feelings, the humor mostly works but the serious side is meh. But in Joy Ride, the humor is hit-or-miss but the serious side is the best thing about it. So it goes. I'm just glad R-rated comedies are coming back to the summer lineups. Hope that continues. These two films could've been better, but they're still totally worth a watch. And yeah, at this point I prefer seeing movies like these on the big screen to whatever 9-figure, overly CGI-ed, Action Movie Part 8 that comes out every weekend.
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

Please please tell me this is a joke d'oh!

https://screenrant.com/vertigo-movie-re...explained/

Downey is talented, seems like a good dude, and his heart is probably in the right place -- and I don't think he meant any real offense -- but no chance in hell it will be "better" ... Maybe it will be more "effects driven and spectacular" (superficially) and more "realistic" or less "dated" (to use one of the most annoying, pointless and over used "criticisms" of films -- or any art -- that are several decades old) ...but realistically it is almost impossible to top Hitchcock at his own game...
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CA Dreamin

Gender: Male
Location: LA

AfterHours wrote:

Please please tell me this is a joke d'oh!

https://screenrant.com/vertigo-movie-re...explained/

Downey is talented, seems like a good dude, and his heart is probably in the right place -- and I don't think he meant any real offense -- but no chance in hell it will be "better" ... Maybe it will be more "effects driven and spectacular" (superficially) and more "realistic" or less "dated" (to use one of the most annoying, pointless and over used "criticisms" of films -- or any art -- that are several decades old) ...but realistically it is almost impossible to top Hitchcock at his own game...

I think it's the Tony Stark alter-ego talking. As I mentioned in the 70s thread, Obsession a very good Vertigo-esque film that pays homage without being a straight remake.

On another note, I saw Oppenheimer. That was pretty good.

Hayden

Location: CDMX

CA Dreamin wrote:

Strangely I've found comfort in two low-to-mid budget R-rated comedies this summer

No Hard Feelings is a simply a fun movie to kick back and enjoy. A callback to simple sex/relationship comedies that were popular in the 80s, 90s, and the early 2000s, and have been sorely missed in recent years. It has the self-awareness to realize trends in humor have changed, demonstrated by a scene where the couple goes to a high school party, and J-Law says something that would not have caused a fuss 15 years ago, but causes outrage at the party. No Hard Feelings also criticizes over-parenting and its potentially harmful effects when children become adults. But anyway, as ludicrous as the premise is, and as different as the characters are, the chemistry between them works because they share something in common...they're victims of circumstances out of their control, and their relationship mutually benefits them, giving them a chance to overcome their lives' obstacles, even though their relationship is bound to fail. And for the most part, the humor lands, whether it be the awkward sexual humor or the random ridiculous action sequence. You gotta suspend your disbelief at points, some of gags are very predictable, and I find the very ending hokey and overly feelgood. But overall, No Hard Feelings is a fun 6/10.

On the other hand, Joy Ride feels like a more modern comedy. More of a callback to The Hangover for its 4-person 'wolfpack' camaraderie and their quest to find a loved one, and Bridesmaids for its 'women being the gross and immature ones.' Tack on the recent movie trend of Asian-Americans and their cultural identities, and that's Joy Ride in a nutshell. Clearly a film meant to continue the string of successful movies about Asian-Americans (e.g. CRA, Minari, EEAA1). But unfortunately this film is a mixed bag. The main character is great, but the other three are underdeveloped or not very likable. Thus, the disgusting humor had to make up for it. I'm sure it worked for some viewers, but for me the humor gags only landed at about 50%. The club scene with Ronnie Chieng and drug scene on the train were funny enough, but other comedy gags felt way too forced to earn a laugh. But then, there was Joy Ride's serious side, where the main character has to discover and come to terms with her family history. It takes way too long for this to get going (not until the hour-mark), but it hits effectively once it does, creating a very satisfying ending and elevating the gross-out farce into 6/10 territory.

So in No Hard Feelings, the humor mostly works but the serious side is meh. But in Joy Ride, the humor is hit-or-miss but the serious side is the best thing about it. So it goes. I'm just glad R-rated comedies are coming back to the summer lineups. Hope that continues. These two films could've been better, but they're still totally worth a watch. And yeah, at this point I prefer seeing movies like these on the big screen to whatever 9-figure, overly CGI-ed, Action Movie Part 8 that comes out every weekend.

I got around to both of these recently— (also got around to Across The Spider-Verse last night, but that's beside the point)— and based on what people know about my taste (or whatever) what I like/don't like, blah blah blah, you might be surprised that I loved both. Joy Ride is an absolute blast, and I should've probably written something about it while it was still fresh in my memory, but for a sec I'm just going to type words about No Hard Feelings, which, for me, is neck-and-neck for best rom-com of the decade so far (w/ Palm Springs). Maybe I'm surprised because I figured it'd be some low-expectation summer-blockbuster raunchy Apatow-esque tossaway, but Lawrence put on her best performance since... (I mean... at least) American Hustle, and Feldman legitimately matched her. What a phenomenally fun feelgood comedy that takes slide tackles at a whole bunch of different generations (not to get confused with generational differences) and societal stereotypes. And when Feldman has his Maneater scene? I... I mean— I don't like that song too much or anything, so that might have something to do with it, but that's the best rendition of it I've ever heard. Stop-everything-you're-doing sorta stuff. Haven't had a scene give me goosebumps in quite some time. And Lawrence's reaction? Just— damn— there was acting in this. I don't quite remember the last film like this that actually made me laugh and feel something— and part of it was an ache, not going to lie— I miss my days growing up as a tourist-town beach teen, all the shenanigans we'd get up to... and, well, how those days are gone (and not coming back)— I knew types like Maddie, Percy, Jim... and I miss them, but, like the character's bittersweet realizations, eventually you're bound to drift. Maddie's humour reminds me of two people I grew up with, and I miss their jokes to bits. It's a little dull around these parts now... almost makes me feel uncomfortable— people think I'm funny when I'm saying, well, not very good jokes— then impostor syndrome sets in, etc— and I used to be so much funnier because I was surrounded by this energy they had. And the Percy types too. They ruined me, of course— I remember going to Uni and thinking: 'why is everyone here so dull?'— and just... goddamn it—

For what I figured was going to be a stupid whatever don't-use-your-brain-for-a-second distraction, I found myself getting hit by the occasional gutpunch. Maybe it's a good film, maybe I just miss getting into shenanigans, but... I'd call your 6/10 and raise you 2. On a critical level, I think it's a bit more bulletproof than it seems on the surface. Like you said, the humour lands— and I don't say that about a lot of mainstream comedies... at all. Sppeeeaking of—

Joy Ride, I'm thinking a strong 7/light 8— enjoyed the heck out of it. Film's a firework.

CA Dreamin

Gender: Male
Location: LA

When I think about why I gave No Hard Feelings a 6/10, I think about how some of the laughs were too predictable. I think about the very ending which felt unreasonably saccharine. I also think about the plausibility of a few scenes, one including using a totaled car as a ride-share vehicle which defies common knowledge and common sense. Hayden's right though, there is genuineness to the two characters that resonates beyond the gags and shenanigans. It's an effective juxtaposition having Percy on the verge of becoming an adult who is ill-prepared for adulthood, while Maddie is still young but has experienced enough adulthood to be having a midlife crisis. Nostalgia is another key element like Hayden pointed out. Maddie dates Percy not just for financial reasons, but also because she wants to live like she's in her late-teens and early-20s again. And like Hayden, No Hard Feelings brought me back to those years too, thinking about my close friends during those years and the town I lived in. It struck a chord, for sure. So maybe it is better than my 6/10. Maybe it's a strong 6/soft 7. You might have seen from my LB ratings that I'm not very lenient [shrug]

As for Joy Ride, this film hasn't resonated as well in the month since I've seen it. Again I think the main character's self-discovery narrative and ending were very good. But the rest of the movie is mediocre at best. The lead is great; the supporting characters are weak. Furthermore, I don't find the film's comedic and serious sides mutually reinforcing (for the most part, there are a couple exceptions). It's as if the screenwriter wrote the ending first, and then simply wrote whatever popped into her head to get to the ending. And it's mostly cheap laughs, and deus ex machina plot contrivances that aren't very interesting, and do little character-illustrating. I kinda want to lower my 6/10 rating, but then I remember how good the third act is and I leave the 6/10 rating alone.
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on such a winter's day

Hayden

Location: CDMX

CA Dreamin wrote:

When I think about why I gave No Hard Feelings a 6/10, I think about how some of the laughs were too predictable. I think about the very ending which felt unreasonably saccharine. I also think about the plausibility of a few scenes, one including using a totaled car as a ride-share vehicle which defies common knowledge and common sense. Hayden's right though, there is genuineness to the two characters that resonates beyond the gags and shenanigans. It's an effective juxtaposition having Percy on the verge of becoming an adult who is ill-prepared for adulthood, while Maddie is still young but has experienced enough adulthood to be having a midlife crisis. Nostalgia is another key element like Hayden pointed out. Maddie dates Percy not just for financial reasons, but also because she wants to live like she's in her late-teens and early-20s again. And like Hayden, No Hard Feelings brought me back to those years too, thinking about my close friends during those years and the town I lived in. It struck a chord, for sure. So maybe it is better than my 6/10. Maybe it's a strong 6/soft 7. You might have seen from my LB ratings that I'm not very lenient [shrug]

As sugary as the ending was painted, I think it fit— it wasn't actually that happy of a final note (kinda like the Friends' finale)— but yeah, had they gone the La La Land route, could've bumped it up a notch. A lot of the film is held up by the lead's chemistry— and, if anything, it's a great showcase on how far chemistry can go (re: La La Land (again), Blue Is The Warmest Colour, Eternal Sunshine, Before Trilogy, etc)— it's usually that extra 'thing' that pushes a film to new heights. Just unexpectedly, and unironically, one of the best films of the year so far / haven’t felt this was since Cruella came out and threw me for a loop—

I mean— it's still not as good as the aforementioned films, but it has that extra ingredient that so many casting directors aspire for.

And still can't believe is took a JLaw sex comedy to make me realize Maneater is actually a very well written song. Shame it wasn't recorded in Hall & Oates early folksy phase. I've never been big on heir 80s sound.

Hayden

Location: CDMX

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Gave Past Lives a watch... (TO crowd— it's at the Lightbox) and I'm slightly surprised at the film's overwhelmingly positive reception so far.

It was good— at its core it's quite a beautiful work (cinematography was fantastic, screenplay was aight)— but the chemistry was lacking for me. Little thin, honestly. Its slowness is welcome, gives the film a nice sense of peace, but I have a feeling it was slow because it needed to be stretched. Storyline's practically a short. Some nice lines in the mix, suppose— and Lee is very good (not Oscar-frontrunner good, but it's still the best I've seen her)— yet even as a romantic at heart, I didn't get hit by the gutpunches very hard. It never hurt. Everything's just kinda sparring with your heartstrings, never quite tugging. I never felt overwhelmed by the yearning they were trying to compose. The slice-of-life realism to the dialogue was a highlight, and the relatable/realistic/human situation gave it a boost, but the words needed to act a little bit more like knives. It's sophisticated/crisp/mature/poetic— just lacked a dash of charm/intimacy/vulnerability it needed, and I think Song knows this (there's a handful of heavyhanded statements Nora (Lee) used to cry a lot... ???). For what's such a simple, elegant piece, there's an odd amount of fat too... I found a lot of the character's smaller details inconsequential. It's a shoulda-coulda-woulda with oddly (erm...) cuckish overtones— dunno why we slipped in that the dude's book is called Boner.

Doesn't help I had a weird Lost In Translation binge on Sunday. Just had it on loop on my TV for some comfort-reason. Masterpiece.

Dunno. I liked it. Maybe not as much as I thought I would— but I liked it. If anything, I'm more surprised how much other people are liking it. Isn't the type of film that usually gets raves from audiences, but it's consistently landing 4.5-5s on Letterboxd and is smushed between some of the best films of all-time on their overall. I'll give it another go when I can... it's the sort of film I want to love, but it never had that above-and-beyondness I craved. It wasn't powerful for me, just... good.

Looking forward to what both Celine Song and Shabier Kirchner do next (and I imagine it'll still go down as one of the bigger films of the year).

Also wish Song kept the story in Toronto... I can't see any reason at all why she moved it to NYC, but whatever.

(Other unnecessary sidenote— the lead three all come across about 10 years younger than they actually are— which, is fine, they look great n stuff, but it was interesting seeing a story historically stereotyped as a 20s thing being carried out by an age group that were considered middle-aged not too many decades ago)

CA Dreamin

Gender: Male
Location: LA

Last month, CA Dreamin wrote:

...The WGA went on strike in May, and SAG joined them today...If these work stoppages last several months, there could be another COVID-level lull in the industry, stemming from the simple fact there won't much film-making taking place. The effects won't be immediately felt, but look out for delayed release dates...

It's happening...

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie...235543945/

I didn't like the first Dune, but this begs the question, 'what will be next?' Killers of the Flower Moon? The Marvels? The Aquaman movie? The Ridley Scott Napoleon movie? I think Killers of the Flower Moon will still be released on schedule. Unlike Dune, I don't think it stands to benefit much from a big SAG promotional tour, as much of the buzz and revenue will come from streaming.

Anyway, unless these strikes conclude soon (which isn't looking probable), I doubt Dune will be the last highly-anticipated title getting postponed to next year. 2023 could go down as worst year of cinema in recent memory. At least Barbenheimer gave the industry a jolt before the shit hit the fan. I didn't see Barbie but it was nice that something brought audiences back into the theaters en masse. I saw the other half of Barbenheimer and that was really great, and is enjoying an equally impressive box office run.
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on such a winter's day

Hayden

Location: CDMX

Theater Camp.

Jenish11

There is no point in revoking your streaming subscription as it just don't bring us new or latest movies but a house full of different genre that will help you to get over your mixed feeling while sitting alone with a box of stress then these streaming subscription will help you to get over all those.