Movie Hindsight 2020

[Dove]

Deck The Halls (2006) - A comedy with Danny Devito, an over-the-top Christmas yard decorator, at odds with neighbor a neighbor. Matthew Broderick.

Okay, but not great.

 

[dbmill]

It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - I have never seen this movie from beginning to end. Always would catch it somewhere in the middle to the end. After today, I still have not seen it in one sit, beginning to end. But, before I started the Christmas cook I watched the second half of the movie and was like, yeah. Then, the movie started over and I saw the beginning which I have never seen. It tied the entire film together, finally!!!

Went from a ho hum flick to a great movie just like that!!!

A great movie, no question about it. "It's a Wonderful Life" is in my top four films for best Christmas movie (the other three are "Scrooge" (1951), "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947), and "A Christmas Story". In my opinion it is easily the best movie that Frank Capra ever made, and it wasn't as if he was a slouch.

Back in the 1970's "It's a Wonderful Life" had slipped into the Public Domain. Because of this, it became a staple of public television stations during the 1970's who were looking for cheap holiday programming. Public television stations would start to show it anytime after Thanksgiving, and those stations showed it a lot during the holiday season. This is when I first saw it, when I was a teenager in the 1970's, and it stuck with me right away. Before public TV stations got a hold of it, this movie was fairly unknown to the mass audience, but the exposure that it got from these showings on public television really boosted its stature with the public. From there it turned into pretty much an annual Christmas rite of passage.

 

[storrsroars]

"The Christmas Chronicles" (2018) - Really fun movie the first time. Rewatched it earlier in the week and it was still very entertaining. Kurt Russell is in my Top 3 fave actors all time. A highlight is the jail cell song where Santa jams with Steve Van Zandt and The Disciples of Soul.

"The Christmas Chronicles 2" (2020) - Much more geared for the kids as the elves get a lot of screen time. Goldy Hawn, as Mrs. C., gets a lot more screen time, too. Julian Dennison (kid in Hunt for the Wilderpeople) is still cherubic enough to pull off an elf-turned-angry human who tries to steal Christmas and move it to the South Pole.

I just watched both this week and both would now make my top 10 Christmas films. Russell did a nice job with a very different interpretation of Santa. Both had solid sentimental angles. The SFX on both were excellent.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I just watched both this week and both would now make my top 10 Christmas films. Russell did a nice job with a very different interpretation of Santa. Both had solid sentimental angles. The SFX on both were excellent.

I thought the original was brilliant. The sequel was just good.

 

[storrsroars]

I thought the original was brilliant. The sequel was just good.

It's a pretty low bar getting onto the bottom of that list. There just aren't that many Christmas movies I still enjoy enough for multiple viewings. And most of those are b/w.

 

[Mano]

In under the wire before my year in review post.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Quality flick from Taika Waititi. You can see the earmark of his humor and eccentricity of direction throughout and some great performances from all the main players. The roving DCF type character in this actually had one of the better voiced roles in Soul down below.

Tenet - Probably my most anticipated movie of the year pre-COVID. Thoroughly entertaining in that particular Nolan way, heavy on the expository dialogue like a lot of his movie tend to have. I think it mostly made sense? I love his tendency to rely on practical effects and/or miniatures over an over-reliance on CGI during his many incredibly choreographed action set pieces. I'm still not sure how they filmed that one fight scene both in reverse and moving forwards at the same time.

Fatman - It could've been a quality new addition to the pantheon of all time holiday movies if it had just a few more touches of humor throughout. As is, a good one time watch that will never need be returned to.

The Midnight Sky - A thoroughly pointless exercise in wasting money on fancy special FX. The twist if you want to call it that makes it especially pointless. Probably way better as a book.

Gemini Man - I can watch Mary Elizabeth Winstead do just about anything. Will Smith is his usual charming self but his de-aged CGI counterpart was constantly distracting in that uncanny valley sort of way. Decent action, but again, distracting.

Last Christmas - Bogus twist but I like Emilia Clarke well enough to keep plodding on.

Hoosiers - Probably going to be an unpopular opinion on here, but I don't really get what the big deal over this movie is. Its just constant montages combined with poor editing, continuity errors and off camera happenings that never get explained. Oh and a kid can hit a jumpshot every now and then. Big whoop. Hackman was very good and really the only reason to watch. Entirely predictable.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm - Yawn. Barely a chuckle to be found. Should've kept it at a one off.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 - I guess if you like Sorkin you'll be into this. It was fine. The rapidity of his dialogue kept it moving at a fairly brisk pace which was nice. Am I the only one that finds JGL to have pretty much zero presence and gravitas?

Soul - Pixar can do no wrong. Really touching, inventive in their usual fashion and overall a lovely film that obviously deals with some heavy stuff. I think it's funny that their depiction of the great beyond is basically a big bug zapper tho.

Wonder Woman 1984 - What a dogpoop movie lol. It's easy to pile on at this point but so much of it was just a big cluster. I was no fan of the first either but that one was leagues better.

 

[dbmill]

Haven't heard from @Mano on this thread in a while, good to see him back.

 

[storrsroars]

In under the wire before my year in review post.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Quality flick from Taika Waititi. You can see the earmark of his humor and eccentricity of direction throughout and some great performances from all the main players. The roving DCF type character in this actually had one of the better voiced roles in Soul down below.

Tenet - Probably my most anticipated movie of the year pre-COVID. Thoroughly entertaining in that particular Nolan way, heavy on the expository dialogue like a lot of his movie tend to have. I think it mostly made sense? I love his tendency to rely on practical effects and/or miniatures over an over-reliance on CGI during his many incredibly choreographed action set pieces. I'm still not sure how they filmed that one fight scene both in reverse and moving forwards at the same time.

Fatman - It could've been a quality new addition to the pantheon of all time holiday movies if it had just a few more touches of humor throughout. As is, a good one time watch that will never need be returned to.

The Midnight Sky - A thoroughly pointless exercise in wasting money on fancy special FX. The twist if you want to call it that makes it especially pointless. Probably way better as a book.

Gemini Man - I can watch Mary Elizabeth Winstead do just about anything. Will Smith is his usual charming self but his de-aged CGI counterpart was constantly distracting in that uncanny valley sort of way. Decent action, but again, distracting.

Last Christmas - Bogus twist but I like Emilia Clarke well enough to keep plodding on.

Hoosiers - Probably going to be an unpopular opinion on here, but I don't really get what the big deal over this movie is. Its just constant montages combined with poor editing, continuity errors and off camera happenings that never get explained. Oh and a kid can hit a jumpshot every now and then. Big whoop. Hackman was very good and really the only reason to watch. Entirely predictable.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm - Yawn. Barely a chuckle to be found. Should've kept it at a one off.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 - I guess if you like Sorkin you'll be into this. It was fine. The rapidity of his dialogue kept it moving at a fairly brisk pace which was nice. Am I the only one that finds JGL to have pretty much zero presence and gravitas?

Soul - Pixar can do no wrong. Really touching, inventive in their usual fashion and overall a lovely film that obviously deals with some heavy stuff. I think it's funny that their depiction of the great beyond is basically a big bug zapper tho.

Wonder Woman 1984 - What a dogpoop movie lol. It's easy to pile on at this point but so much of it was just a big cluster. I was no fan of the first either but that one was leagues better.

I only saw three of these and agree on two. Midnight Sky was a total waste of time. Guess it was simply a vanity project for Clooney. I expected more and it never delivered. The Trial of the Chicago 7 was only uplifted by Mark Rylance's portrayal of Kuntsler. The rest of the cast and story was fairly blah. Gordon-Leavitt had little to do with his role. He's hit and miss for me as I liked him in Looper and Snowden.

However, I disagree vehemently on Borat II. I laughed many, many, many times throughout. But, he shouldn't do a third.

 

[ZooCougar]

I thought Fartman was good but was a bit too dark. It seemed like it was missing a character to provide comedy relief.

Hunter Hunter was a good one time watch.

Tenet is another really good Nolan movie that I have already watched 4 times.

There are talks of a sequel. I hope they do it.

Greenland, surprisingly good. It’s easily the best of the giant thing from space that hits earth.

Rewatched Lake Placid this morning. This is still a great movie that ages well. I haven’t seen it in forever, but Brendon Gleeson stands out.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Being There (1979) - Just added to HBOMax. Still brilliant.

It is one of the most ruthless satires about American society that has ever been made, and it is just as relevant today as it was 42 years ago.

 

[8893]

Being There (1979) - Just added to HBOMax. Still brilliant.

It is one of the most ruthless satires about American society that has ever been made, and it is just as relevant today as it was 42 years ago.

One of my favorite movies of all time. Sellers's performance is a top ten for me.

 

[Mano]

Year End Movie Review Roundup!!! (for postings in 2020 only)

Mano:

Total movies watched: 63

1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Joker, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Hustlers, Midsommar, Ad Astra, Zombieland: Double Tap, The Addams Family, Ready of Not, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Moon, Hellboy, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Ford v Ferrari, Parasite, Enemy, 6 Underground, Doctor Sleep, Jojo Rabbit, Pokemon Detective Pikachu, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Onward, Knives Out, Terminator: Dark Fate, Midway, Abominable, Spies in Disguise, Uncut Gems, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, Noelle, Trolls World Tour, Greta, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Free Solo, Stuber, Sonic the Hedgehog, Birds of Prey, Like a Boss, The Hunt, The Invisible Man, Downhill, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Missing Link, Hamilton, Scoob!, The Adjustment Bureau, The King of Staten Island, An American Pickle, Class Action Park, Wind River, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Tenet, Fatman, The Midnight Sky, Gemini Man, Last Christmas, Hoosiers, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Soul, Wonder Woman 1984

2020 Top 5:

1) 1917
2) Wind River
3) Tenet
4) Soul
5) Ad Astra

Just Missed:

Ford v Ferrari, Doctor Sleep, Parasite, Jojo Rabbit, Eurovision Song Contest

@nwhoopfan

Total movies watched: 73

Her Alibi, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Zombieland: Double Tap, Terminator: Dark Fate, Jojo Rabbit, Midway, The Outcasts, Charlie's Angels, Midsommar, 21 Bridges, Gemini Man, Dear Albania, Level 16, Overlord, Feast of the Seven Fishes, Code 8, Ford v Ferrari, Little Women (2019), Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, The Gentlemen, The Night Before, Bloodshot, Time Lapse, Carolina, The Magic of Belle Isle, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Birds, Miss Minoes, Little Women (1994), Princess Caraboo, Marrowbone, Rip Tide, A.C.O.D., Red Knot, My Spy, The Reading Room, Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable, Ride Like a Girl, Ballet Shoes, Guns Akimbo, Banana Split, The First Time, Monsoon, Vivarium, The Black Hole, The November Man, Waking Madison, Operator, Ways to Live Forever, I Am Dragon, Say You Will, Chemical Hearts, Armenia Uncovered, To the Stars, Stuck in Love, A Good Old Fashioned Or G, Take Care, Buffaloed, Little Birds, Our Blood is Wine, Jumanji: The Next Level, The Lie, Lone Star State of Mind, Archive, Enola Holmes, Rebecca, Erased, Carrie Pilby, All the Bright Places, Lost Girls, A Girl Like Her, The Hunt

@Dove

Total movies watched: 63

It Come at Night, Rattlesnake, Rocky Balboa, Joker, El Camino, Midsommar, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Ad Astra, The Big Sick, Smokey and the Bandit, Creed 2, Richard Jewell, Rocketman, A Perfect World, The Decline, Aftermath, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, In the Shadow of the Moon, Light of My Life, Cat Fight, Airplane, Blinded by the Light, Making a Killing, Permanent, Glass, Yesterday, Night Hunter, The Platform, Red Sparrow, From Dusk Till Dawn, Manchester by the Sea, The Usual Suspects, The Next Three Days, Marrowbone, The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, The Invisible Man, The Lodge, The Wolf of Wall Street, Da 5 Bloods, The Irishman, The Meyerowitz Stories, The Pineapple Express, The Vast of Night, Vivarium, The Old Guard, Unsane, Bone Tomahawk, Becky, The Hunt, A Family That Fights, Warrior, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Dolemite is my Name, 6 Underground, Mine 9, Mississippi Burning, Arkansas, Hillbilly Elegy, The Christmas Chronicles, The Christmas Chronicle 2, The Nightingale, It's a Wonderful Life, Deck the Halls

@dbmill

Total movies watched: 25

Wild Rose, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Efficiency Expert, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Jojo Rabbit, Knives Out, The Cooler, My Neighbor Totoro, School of Rock, Midnight Special, The Devil Wears Prada, Win Win, Almost Famous, The Trip, The Way, Way Back, Donovan's Reef, King of California, Extra Ordinary, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Enough Said, The Lighthouse, The Color Out of Space, Ghost Town, Begin Again

@ZooCougar

Total movies watched: 13

Marriage Story, Pokemon Detective Pikachu, Ford v Ferrari, Knives Out, Jojo Rabbit, The Bonfire of the Vanities, Trolls World Tour, Grand Canyon, Greyhound, Fatman, Tenet, Hunter Hunter, Greenland

@HuskyHawk

Total movies watched: 10

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Joker, Scotch: A Golden Dream, Midway, 1917, American Gangster, Ford v Ferrari, Crooked House, Finding Forrester, Ghosts of War 2020

@nelsonmuntz

Total movies watched: 10

The Wiz, Savages, The Disaster Artist, Unstoppable, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Palm Springs, Da 5 Bloods, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, The Current War, Mank

@Waquoit

Total movies watched: 10

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Aeronauts, Little Women, Knives Out, Uncut Gems, Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, First Cow, Pick of the Litter, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Morning Glory

@zymurg

Total movies watched: 9

The Great Train Robbery, Twenty Feet from Stardom, Heathers, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Advise and Consent, The Best Man, Official Secrets, Wild River, Curse of the Demon

@Deepster

Total movies watched: 8

Like a Boss, Peanut Butter Falcon, Jojo Rabbit, Saving Mr. Banks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Extraction, Uncut Gems, Greyhound

@8893

Total movies watched: 6

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, Judy, 1917, Peanut Butter Falcon, Jojo Rabbit

@storrsroars

Total movies watched: 6

Stand Up Guys, The Laundromat, The Old Guard, Mank, The Christmas Chronicles, The Christmas Chronicles 2

@Husky25

Total movies watched: 5

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Rocketman, El Camino, Trolls World Tour, Let Him Go

@navery12

Total movies watched: 3

Knives Out, Murder Mystery, El Camino

@Deadrody

Total movies watched: 2

Midway, The Fate of the Furious

@Hey Adrien!

Total movies watched: 2

Palm Springs, The Beach Bum

@Jay-Bone

Total movies watched: 2

The Art of Self-Defense, Midsommar

@CL82

Total movies watched: 1

Annihilation​

 

[CL82]

Hoosiers - Probably going to be an unpopular opinion on here, but I don't really get what the big deal over this movie is. Its just constant montages combined with poor editing, continuity errors and off camera happenings that never get explained. Oh and a kid can hit a jumpshot every now and then. Big whoop. Hackman was very good and really the only reason to watch. Entirely predictable

 

[nwhoopfan]

Year End Movie Review Roundup!!! (for postings in 2020 only)

I'm always amazed to see you take the time to compile everyone's list of reviewed movies during the course of the year. It's also interesting to look back and see what I watched. Thanks for doing this.

 

[Waquoit]

In under the wire before my year in review post.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Quality flick from Taika Waititi. You can see the earmark of his humor and eccentricity of direction throughout and some great performances from all the main players. The roving DCF type character in this actually had one of the better voiced roles in Soul down below.

I loved this movie.

 

[dbmill]

I'm always amazed to see you take the time to compile everyone's list of reviewed movies during the course of the year. It's also interesting to look back and see what I watched. Thanks for doing this.

Totally agree. I always look forward to the @Mano posting of the reviewed films, and always marvel that anyone takes the time to do it. My thanks as well.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

One of my favorite movies of all time. Sellers's performance is a top ten for me.

Being There could have completely gone off the rails if every performance was not perfect. Melvyn Douglas won an Oscar for best supporting actor, but I think Richard Dysart and Shirley MacLaine were really incredible.

Dysart's helpless incredulity as he realizes that Gardiner is a simpleton had to be perfect. Someone has to be in on the joke or the movie doesn't work, and Rand's doctor is the right person for that role. On the other hand, if he overdid it then then everyone else's inability to see through Gardiner would have become unbelievable. The scene in the bar with the lawyer that had thrown Chance out was incredible. The lawyer was convinced he had been hustled somehow, and Dysart had to communicate to the audience that he knew the truth without hamming it up. Dysart had to be pitch perfect, and he was.

Sellers hated the end credits scene, and I also think it is terrible. Why ruin a perfect movie with stupid outtakes?

 

[Dove]

Looking at @Mano 's list I hit the ground running. My sis in law left NYC and moved in. She is a TV addict. Then, I stopped entering for a long time.

 

[Mano]

The new thread for 2021 will hopefully post soon, for some reason my posts are being moderated at the moment.

 

[Mano]

Nm, it’s up now. Recently Watched Movies 2021

 

[Dove]

The Midnight Sky (2020) [watched on NYE]:

Just brutal.

 

[Dove]

I thought Fartman was good but was a bit too dark. It seemed like it was missing a character to provide comedy relief.

Was this a Howard Stern film? Short on comedy? Wow.

 

[SubbaBub]

I get it. The montage heavy, underdog pulls it out plot has been beaten to death since this movie came out. Anyone seeing it now for the first time or anyone who just wasn't spellbound by it the first time will find the themes dated.

Even the iconic, yes they are iconic, performances by Hackman and Hopper come across today as extreme overacting, especially Hopper.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I get it. The montage heavy, underdog pulls it out plot has been beaten to death since this movie came out. Anyone seeing it now for the first time or anyone who just wasn't spellbound by it the first time will find the themes dated.

Even the iconic, yes they are iconic, performances by Hackman and Hopper come across today as extreme overacting, especially Hopper.

Hoosiers is a very good movie. There are some issues, such as the romance plot thread having almost no point in the movie, but the slice of life view of 1950's Indiana and the social critique about the warped worship of high school male athletes is still relevant today.

I have a theory about the movie having a whole other level. Objectively, Norman Dale is not a great coach. The team is not competitive without its best player, and Dale frequently makes bad moral and basketball judgments. Making Dennis Hopper the assistant was a terrible decision.

If you remember Myra Fleener's (Hershey's) speech: "They sit around for the rest of their lives talking about the glory days when they were 17 years old", and Dale responds "most people would kill...to be treated like a god for just a few moments." This is not a normal underdog story. This is a story about escape and opportunity. Neither Fleener nor Dale want to be in Hickory. Fleener has reached her peace with it, but Dale has clearly not.