tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857882.post5586428908178068398..comments2023-11-17T11:08:31.857-06:00Comments on Michael May: 45 Movies I Missed from 2017Michael Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12514945570212261283noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857882.post-19631229593677121632018-01-08T11:46:28.030-06:002018-01-08T11:46:28.030-06:00Ha! Thanks!Ha! Thanks!Michael Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12514945570212261283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857882.post-58389469474873106112018-01-07T12:27:41.792-06:002018-01-07T12:27:41.792-06:00Bless You, kind sir, for introducing me to the exi... Bless You, kind sir, for introducing me to the existence of KILLING GUNTHER and GUN SHY (these look like exactly the demented Action Movie nonsense that cheers a chap up after some fairly humourless years).<br /><br /> in return one can only say that you should see JUMANJI 2 as soon as possible (and shame on your for neglecting such a splendid entertainment in favour of yet ANOTHER outing with a solid STAR WARS effort that by no means deserves to be seen more than twice in cinemas!).<br /><br /> Oh and THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD is genuinely entertaining, but can safely be seen as a Home Movie; you won't miss anything if you don't see it on the Big Screen.<br /><br /> Thank You again and keep up the Good Work with your very excellent blog! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857882.post-52866480791054539092018-01-04T19:05:42.521-06:002018-01-04T19:05:42.521-06:00This short does feel more like it was meant as a T...This short does feel more like it was meant as a TV Special, but I understand using a successful franchise as a draw before an original and hard to market film. Its unfortunate because I've lobbied to keep seeing these characters as shorts rather than hastily assembled sequels. I've been impressed with the follow ups they've done with the Toy Story and Tangled spots and think you could do the same with a lot of their recent additions like Judy Hopps, Baymax or Wreck It Ralph. What I'd love to see 2-D Animation on the big screen again and showcase Disney icons like Ariel or Belle and what they're up for a short story.<br /><br />The short itself is okay and it plays to Olaf's strength of being cheerful naive. Sadly all the other character are just there to play set up for his story or the next song. I recognize that the 20 minute run time means you can only do so much development but its got me worried (unnecessarily I'm sure) that a brand is such a cash cow that they won't explore these people in any new direction when they do get the actual sequel. That and John de Lancie voices a village elder who only has one line. C'mon! Give this guy some more work! Erik Johnson Illustratorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11184274387021011687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857882.post-79577507809540485922018-01-04T14:55:36.689-06:002018-01-04T14:55:36.689-06:00Erik, I'd go without the Frozen "short.&q...Erik, I'd go without the Frozen "short." My understanding is that it's not really a short, but a animated special that never aired on TV. I don't wanna sit through that.<br /><br />Siskoid, you've talked me into adding Lady Bird to my list. I'm embarrassed to admit why I haven't been interested in it, but you and some other trusted people have aroused my curiosity.<br /><br />Happy Death Day is on my Need To Watch list, but I forgot to mention it, because I have a whole separate list for movies I intend to watch next Halloween. I need to rethink my organization. :)Michael Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12514945570212261283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857882.post-47963511235876297922018-01-04T07:23:22.052-06:002018-01-04T07:23:22.052-06:00Yay! My favorite part of the new year!
I didn'...Yay! My favorite part of the new year!<br /><br />I didn't just break my record for most times at the theater this year (which was in the low 40s) but completely blew it up. 67 times! Of those, three were repeat viewings, 3 were "live theater" presentations, and 3 were older films. That's still 58 new movies in 2017 (although of course some were "Oscar season" type stuff that technically came out in 2016. The same is true of several movies on your list. We've only YET to see them (like The Shape of Water and Hostiles, but I think I've seen the Gina Carano movie scheduled for a lot later in 2018, I may be wrong).<br /><br />As usual, you earmarked a lot of movies I've never heard of, but this is where I take notes for future viewing. The movies I HAVE heard about are the ones I've seen, or else never came to our market but are on our list for home viewing (like The Beguiled, A Ghost Story, and Crooked House if it's really not going to come out in '18). Except for The Hitman's Bodyguard which seems Netflixable, but not much more. I think I was probably done with Pitch Perfect after the first one.<br /><br />Specific thoughts...<br />The Big Sick was indeed excellent. Holly Hunter yes, but Zoe Kazan is always delightful too, and Ray Romano surprisingly effective. I'm enjoying this type of semi-autobiographical comedy (a category also represented this year by Lady Bird). It certainly feels very truthful, and not "written" or artificial.<br /><br />Wind River: Bleak and haunting, though not without humor, but the subject matter can be disturbing. The screenwriter of Hell or High Water is responsible for this, so it's got things to say.<br /><br />Baby Driver: One of the films I saw twice. Just such an entertaining experiment in matching music to action that I consider it a musical. Funny, exciting, and just a ton of fun. Was on my list of year's best.<br /><br />2:22: Not sure what this is, but you speak as if you didn't see Happy Death Day, which is also a Groundhog Day rip. Well, if it's not on your list, I totally recommend it! It's fun and clever and PG-13 so it's not very gory.<br /><br />Detroit: Stayed like a week, but I managed to see it. The core of the film is gripping, but it suffers from a condescending contextualizing sequence and too much epilogue.<br /><br />Logan Lucky: You don't have to ask me twice to go see a Soderbergh heist movie and this one was great fun. Memorable characters, location, etc.<br /><br />Coco: I had the same misgivings, but I will also confirm the two films are nothing like one another. If you can hold back the tears, you're a stronger man than I.<br /><br />Jumanji: So fun I saw it again with friends just to hear them laugh. I'm not a particular fan of the first one either (and respect Zathura more), but Welcome to the Jungle is more logical, all four leads are very funny, and the action is fun. I'm glad it's turning out to be a hit.<br /><br />Can't wait to read what you HAVE seen!Siskoidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857882.post-49583881390175638852018-01-03T18:57:08.525-06:002018-01-03T18:57:08.525-06:00I saw more movies at the theater this year than I ...I saw more movies at the theater this year than I have in a long time so its no surprise that most of these titles are completely off my radar.<br /><br />Wind River: Between Jeremy Renner playing a government agent in this, The Borne Legacy, The Hurt Locker and two Mission Impossibles there has to have been someone who has put together an amazing fan trailer for a Hawkeye solo movie by now. Clearly I need to learn me some editing.<br /><br />Shape of Water: Sounds like you and I are on a similar path with del Toro. I haven't disliked anything he's done but I rewatched a lot of his english language films this summer and was surprisingly underwhelmed.<br /><br />Baby Driver and Logan Lucky are two I got to see in the summer, but both have an action heist momentum thats ideal home viewing for gloomy January now that they're out on home media. <br /><br />Coco I would strongly recommend. Once that last song hit, it had me bawling right there in the theater. Typical Pixar, once I think I'm out after Cars 3, they suck me right back in. Some theaters are giving moviegoers the option of seeing it with or without the "Frozen" short at the beginning. If you had the choice, which version would you rather see?<br /><br />Erik Johnson Illustratorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11184274387021011687noreply@blogger.com