For the 32nd week of the Thursday Movie Picks series hosted by Wanderer of Wandering Through the Shelves. We go into the world of the workplace experience from a female experience as women deal with having to working in a place where men rule everything. Yet, there are films that show that experience and how women can find a voice no matter how much shit they have to eat. Here are my three picks:
1. 9 to 5
Colin Higgins’ 1980 film about three different women working for an egotistical and sexist boss who treats them terribly while taking their ideas for his own gain in the corporate world. Starring the trio of Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton as these three women with Dabney Coleman as their boss. The film is an entertaining romp with a fantasy sequence of all three women dealing with their boss with Tomlin’s fantasy featuring elements of hand-drawn animation in a twisted way. It is truly one of the finest films of the 1980s as it also includes a great title song by Ms. Parton that is catchy as fuck.
Mike Nichols’ 1988 film explores a young secretary from Staten Island who gets the chance to work for a new boss in a woman only to realize that her boss is taking her ideas while is on vacation. It is a film that stars Melanie Griffith as this young secretary who is trying to work her way up the corporate world despite all of the odds are against her yet her initiative and street smart allows her to make things happen with the help of Harrison Ford as an executive who is willing to listen to her ideas as it is an incredible film that features not just a career-defining performance for Griffith but also great work from its ensemble in Ford, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Cusack, and Alec Baldwin.
3. Clockwatchers
This 1997 film by Jill Sprecher is an underseen gem that plays into four different women who all work as temps as they deal with their environment as well as a series of thefts where the women find themselves at odds with each other. Starring Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Alanna Ubach, and Lisa Kudrow, the film is unique for the way it showcases women being friends but also dealing with an environment that is repressive as these four women deal with accusations of theft. Even as their personal lives would start to unravel as Collette’s character is the new temp of the four as she starts off as meek and uncertain about herself only to eventually stand up for herself and her friends in a film that people need to seek out.
For the 22nd week of the Thursday Movie Picks series hosted by Wanderer of Wandering Through the Shelves. We go into films with seasons in their titles as a season would often be a major part of the film’s story. Here are my three picks as they’re all films by Yasujiro Ozu:
Ozu’s adaptation of the novella Father and Daughter by Kazuo Hirotsu is an exploration of a man trying to find a husband for his daughter in the hopes she can get a life of her own. The film follows many of Ozu’s explorations of families and their struggles in adapting to the modern world as the star frequent Ozu regulars in Chishu Ryu and Setsuko Hara in their respective roles as father and daughter as the former is a widow who is trying to get a life of his own while also wanting the same for his daughter despite her reluctance to leave him all by himself.
Ozu’s film about postwar life in Japan explores a family trying to find someone for their daughter who is the representation of someone being caught in the middle between traditionalism and modernism. Again played by Setsuko Hara with Chishu Ryu as her older brother as Ichiro Sugai and Chieko Higashiyama as the parents. It also play into this postwar world of Japan that is growing economically with women becoming more independent yet are struggling to maintain some tradition with some Hara’s friends in the film already in unhappy marriages which adds to her own internal conflict.
Another Ozu film starring Setsuko Hara that is also about a young woman struggling to leave a parent behind for a life of her own is a different film which is more about a mother-daughter relationship with Hara as the mother and Yoko Tsukasa as the daughter as well as being one of Ozu’s first films shot in color. The narrative revolves more on these three old men who are friends of Hara’s late husband as the narrative also focuses more on Hara trying to help her daughter while also knowing that children have to leave the nest no matter how tough things can be as it’s one of Ozu’s great films.
For the 14th week of the Thursday Movie Picks series hosted by Wanderer of Wandering Through the Shelves. We go into the subject of erotic thrillers as it’s a genre that was once popular but is now considered taboo in today’s age. Especially with modern audiences who want something safer yet their choices make them seem extremely questionable. Here are my three picks as they’re all directed by Brian de Palma:
An eerie suspense-drama that explores a woman’s own sexual desires as she would get herself into serious trouble prompting her son to take action with the help of a prostitute. It is a film that plays into the idea of sexual identity and sexual desires but also this idea of sexual repression with a great cast that includes Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon, Dennis Franz, and David Marguiles as it one of de Palma’s great films.
A film that definitely makes no bones in the fact that it borrows heavily from the visual style of Alfred Hitchcock with Vertigo being its biggest influence. This film about a man who is asked to housesit a friend’s home only to witness a murder across from that house. It is a film that has a lot of intrigue as this actor with claustrophobia is taking part in a murder mystery that also has him going into the underworld of pornography where he gets help from a porn actress played by Melanie Griffith in uncovering some dark truths about the murder and everything around it.
If there’s a film that can be considered one of the most underrated films of the past 25 years, this one should be in consideration as it is de Palma at his most pure, seductive, and not being afraid of being style over substance. Even if its plot about a jewel thief betraying her partners only to play dead and marry a diplomat as she continues to hide until a photographer recognizes her and later fall for her isn’t exciting. Yet, de Palma manages to put in a lot of intrigue and incredible visuals for a film that is sexy as well as showing everyone how to create suspense in the right way.
For the sixth week of the Thursday Movie Picks series hosted by Wanderer of Wandering Through the Shelves as the month of February focuses on romantic tropes. We focus on the Cinderella plot in which a woman is swept off her feet by a wealthy man as it is a common trope that often play into certain clichés and such but also moments that can be fun. Here are my three picks:
1. If the Shoe Fits
A modern-take on the story set in Paris revolves around a shoe designer trying to get the attention of famous fashion designer. Starring Jennifer Grey and Rob Lowe, anyone who was a child in the 80s would probably remember this film as it has Grey in the Cinderella role as she would look glamorous whenever she wears these shoes with Lowe being baffled. It’s not a great TV movie but it still has some charm.
2. Ever After
The late 1990s take on the fairy tale starring Drew Barrymore is definitely a much more feminist take of sorts as Barrymore makes the character a much stronger individual who didn’t take a lot of shit. Even from Anjelica Huston playing her cruel stepmother as it is a film with a lot of gorgeous visuals, set/costume designs, and being faithful to its period. It is also hilarious as it includes this great wedding scene in which the prince is to marry the princess of Spain who is crying her fucking eyes out as it is a scene as his parents are like “and we thought we had problems”.
3. Ella Enchanted
Starring Anne Hathaway as a young woman cursed with the gift of obedience who catches the eye of a prince as they travel around the land to meet with the people of the land he rules as he learns what he must to do as king. It is a film that sort of takes a piss on the fairy tale scenarios as well as giving Anne Hathaway a witty performance that has be funny but also play off the many clichés and make fun of it. It is a silly film but it’s also fun to watch.
For the fifth week of the Thursday Movie Picks series hosted by Wanderer of Wandering Through the Shelves as the month of February focuses on romantic tropes. We go into the subject of travel romance where people go to a different place to find love as it is a common trope but one that is fun. Here are my three picks:
Based on the novel by Paul Nowles, Bernardo Bertolucci’s adaptation is one of his weaker films although it does have a lot of the elements that made his films work such as Vittorio Storaro’s photography and noteworthy performances from its ensemble as it is about a couple in late 1940s North Africa traveling as they try to save their marriage as they deal with temptation and existentialism. It is a flawed film largely due to how dense the source material is yet it is still worth watching for the leading performances of John Malkovich and Debra Winger.
From Eleanor Coppola is a film that revolves around an American woman traveling in France as she joins another traveler to discover the country while her producer husband remains at Cannes for its film festival before he rejoins her in Paris. Starring Diane Lane as this woman who travels with Arnaud Viard where she gets a closer look at the small towns and culture of the country as she falls for the journey as it is a gem worth seeking out not just its simple story told with such elegance by Coppola but also for Lane’s performance.
Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of Camille DeAngelis’ novel about a young woman with cannibalistic tendencies who meets another young cannibal as they travel all across America to find her mother. It is a film that is this unconventional love story set on the road in 1980s America as it features not just great leading performances from Taylor Russell and Timothee Chalamet but a tremendous supporting performance from Mark Rylance that is just scary to watch as he plays a fellow cannibal. It is not a film for everyone but certainly worth checking out.
For the fourth week of the Thursday Movie Picks hosted by Wanderer of Wandering Through the Shelves. We continue into the subject of 2022 in freshman TV series. There are new shows that did make 2022 a joy to watch as well as shows that didn’t deliver but it did make the year interesting. Here are my three picks:
1. Ms. Marvel
From Marvel comes a show that isn’t just the best new show of the series but a crown jewel of the MCU as well as a top-tier entry in the current Multiverse Phase for the MCU. Based on the Marvel comic series, the show revolves around a Pakistani-American teenager who is a big fan of Captain Marvel as she gets a bangle from her grandmother that contains mysterious powers as she deals with not just these powers but also her own identity as Muslim-American living in New Jersey as the show also does great work in discussing the atrocity that was the Partition of India in 1947. It is a landmark show in many ways in not just bringing the world of Islamic-American life to Western audiences but also provide a series that can appeal to everyone.
2. Wednesday
From Netflix and Tim Burton is a series that focuses on Wednesday Addams character as she is sent to a prep school following an incident that has her getting revenge for her brother Pugsley. Starring Jenna Ortega as Addams, the show isn’t just this breakout series for her but it also gives audiences some new adventures and stories but also a character that everyone loves in Enid Sinclair that is played by Emma Myers as she is the total opposite of Addams yet is so loveable. It is a series that is filled with chills, thrills, and a lot of mayhem as there has to be a second season.
3. Andor
From Lucasfilms as part of the Star Wars franchise comes this prequel to Rogue One that focuses on the character of Cassian Andor and where he came from. Starring Diego Luna in the titular role, it is a show that plays more into character study, suspense, and politics as it play into the growth of the Rebellion during the age of the Empire. It is a show that has a lot of intrigue but also some amazing moments such as Andy Serkis’ speech about what is happening in the prison where Andor that would lead to the prison break is the closest thing to top anything that happened in the films. This is television at its finest and let’s see where this series will go in the future.
For the first week of Thursday Movie Picks hosted by Wanderer of Wandering Through the Shelves, we go into the subject of 2022 film releases as 2022 was a crazy year. A year that saw some big films but also events that didn’t live up to the hype and films that just fucking sucked. Here are my three picks for 2022 film releases that I hope to never fucking see:
1. Ambulance
Anything that has Michael Bay’s named attached is a bad sign and if he’s directing, I stay the fuck away from that shit. He is the worst filmmaker ever and he continues to display reasons in why he is the worst in this film about a man who teams with his adopted white brother to rob a bank only to hijack an ambulance with two first responders in tow as things go wrong. It has the usual visual aesthetics that Bay is known which is just this hyperactive bullshit kind of Hollywood filmmaking as I am convinced that if someone ties him down on a chair against his will and forces him to watch a Bela Tarr film. His head would fucking explode and I would love to be front row to see that.
2. The Bubble
Judd Apatow’s only made 2 films that I enjoy watching as a director in his first two films in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up while Funny People has its moments though it was overlong and needed trimming. Then came This is 40 where it played into all of the indulgences of Apatow as a filmmaker where it not only went too long but it tried to be both funny and serious only to fail. Since then, Apatow hasn’t made anything worthwhile as this film about a film being made during the pandemic with all of its actors on lockdown should’ve been interesting. Instead, it’s filled with lame gags allowing many of its actors to be wasted as well as once again going above two hours as it is proof that Apatow needs an editor who should tell him what to cut out and have it be either 90 minutes or 105-minutes.
3. Morbius
Jared Leto is one of the worst actors working today as he and Shia LaBeouf are the reasons method acting has turned into nothing more than a lame gimmick for egotistical actors who take themselves way too seriously. In this film that is part of Sony Picture’s attempt to create a cinematic universe involving characters from the Spider-Man franchise has Leto play a doctor trying to find a cure for his own terminal disease only to get vampire-like powers. Thus, ridiculousness ensues as reports of Leto doing stupid things to play an ailing man who then becomes powerful is proof of how awful he is and that “it’s Morbin time” line is just the icing of the cake of why he needs to fucking go.
For the 51st week of 2022 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We go into the subject of winter sports as it is the winter and it’s definitely something that people like to do or watch. Even as they make great subject for films. Here are my three picks:
1. Cool Runnings
A real-life story about the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team in how they formed and how they surprised many in their appearance at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary as it had three runners and boxcar derby champion take part in a sport that is foreign to them. Starring John Candy as the disgraced American bobsled medalist Irving Blitzer in what is definitely Candy’s last great film performance with Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba, and Rawle D. Lewis as the four Jamaican bobsledders. It is a film that is full of humor but also heart as it played into four outsiders who find their identity as athletes and be seen as equals in the eyes of their competitors.
2. Blades of Glory
A hilarious comedy about two talented but disgraced figure skaters who hate each other only to suddenly become the first-ever male-pair figure skating team, through a loophole, stars Will Ferrell and Jon Heder as these two opposites with Ferrell as the loose and wild Chazz Michael Michaels and Heder as the graceful and effeminate Jimmy MacElroy. With Craig T. Nelson as their coach and the duo of Amy Poehler and Will Arnett as their rivals, the film is certainly funny as it has some memorable one-liners but also a climatic final skate that features a take of the largely-notorious Iron Lotus. Featuring cameo appearances from such revered real-life figure skaters in Nancy Kerrigan, Sasha Cohen, Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Dorothy Hamill, and Peggy Fleming. It is just a fun-ass film. WE LOVE YOU DENVER! CITY BY THE BAY! JOHN DENVER!
The real-life story of Eddie Edwards who dreamed of being an Olympian as he becomes a ski jumper despite his lack of athletic skills and many obstacles was made into a film in 2016 by Dexter Fletcher with Taron Edgerton as Edwards. It’s a film that is filled with typical clichés relating to underdog stories but the performances of Egerton and Hugh Jackman as his coach Bronson Peary is filled with charm and heart. Especially as Edwards would become a national hero in Britain as this underdog that may not have won a medal but won the hearts of billions of people at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
For the 50th week of 2022 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We go into the subject of films with flowers/plants in the film title based on a suggestion by Brittani of Rambling Films. Films that often have unique titles and are also interesting in their presentation. Here are my three picks:
1. The War of the Roses
Danny DeVito’s adaptation of the Warren Adler novel about a wealthy couple who seemed to have it all only to hate each other to the point that they fight each other for their material possessions including their mansion. Told from DeVito’s perspective as an attorney trying to sway a client from filing divorce from his wife, the film is a dark comedy that stars Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as a couple that seemed to have it all but the cracks eventually emerged where the two try to kill each other and make their lives a living hell. It is one of the finest comedies of the 1980s and certainly a film people need to see more.
Brian de Palma’s adaptation of the James Ellroy novel about the real-life murder of aspiring actress Elizabeth Short in 1947 was a film tailor made for de Palma in terms of its suspense and intrigue. Unfortunately, it’s a film that doesn’t have enough intrigue in favor of style over substance despite some unique visuals as it lacks the psychological elements of the book while having to have Josh Hartnett in the lead role to carry the film as he is unable to as the film also include some uninspired supporting performances from Scarlett Johansson and Hilary Swank as well as an extremely over-the-top performance from Fiona Shaw.
Woody Allen’s 2013 film is definitely one of the last great films he’s done in this Tennessee Williams-inspired film about the fall of a woman who had everything until she learns that her husband is cheating on her and it lead to ruin forcing her to leave New York City to live with her stepsister in San Francisco. Starring Cate Blanchett as Jasmine, she plays a woman who is trying to get back her lifestyle but also having to deal with the more-modest lifestyle her stepsister has where she is played with great nuance by Sally Hawkins. Featuring a great ensemble cast that include Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard, Alden Ehrenreich, and a surprising performance from Andrew Dice Clay as Hawkins’ ex-husband. It is one of Allen’s quintessential films.
For the 45th week of 2022 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We return to the subject of book adaptations as it is a subject often revisited considering that there’s a lot of films that are based on books. Even documentaries with some being controversial and often filled with a lot of bullshit. Here are my three picks as they’re all films by Jean-Pierre Melville:
Based on Georges Simonon’s novel is a film in which a young boxer accompanies a banker from Paris to New York City to collect money in the hope he can be away from his family and other criminal forces. It is an unconventional film that stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Charles Vanel as these two men who are both down on their luck as they travel to America in the hope they can get a new start but encounter trouble as they hide in New Orleans unsure and uncertain where to go and what to do next. It is a study of corruption and crime as it is one of many recurring themes that Melville would explore.
An adaptation of Jose Giovanni’s novel that explore the story of an escaped criminal who takes part in one final job while being pursued by a police investigator. It seems like a typical cat-and-mouse film but Melville often does something different as it revolves around the criminal underworld in France where there are certain codes that criminals have to follow. It is a film that also explore these themes where there is no honor among thieves.
Joseph Kessel’s novel that revolves around the world of the French Resistance and the sacrifices they made during their time in Nazi-occupied France in World War II is definitely Melville’s finest work to date. Notably as it is a film that is unforgiving in what people had to do while it also play into the ideas of loyalty where so much is at stake. Even as it also showcase life in the prisons where there are moments that are chilling and discomforting to watch as well as those in the Resistance trying to escape the prisons. It is a film that needs to be seen as well as study about the dangers of war and life in Nazi-occupied France.
For the 44th week of 2022 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We go into the subject of female revenge movies where a woman either loses her lover or something much worse as she just goes fucking nuts and kills everyone. Here are my three picks:
Francois Truffaut’s adaptation of William Irish’s novel about a woman who loses her husband at their wedding by a stray bullet as she goes after the five men responsible for what had happened. The film is more of an exploration of vengeance and all of its fallacies where the main character played by Jeanne Moreau is just hell-bent on killing these men. Yet, there are many complications that occur as it is one of Truffaut’s quintessential films as well as one of his more accessible films.
Quentin Tarantino’s two-part film about a woman who was shot in the head by her lover and left in a coma for four years is truly one of the finest films of the 21st Century so far. Notably as it has Uma Thurman going nuts as the Bride who goes after the four women who beat her up and left her dead as it would ultimately lead to her former lover in Bill played by David Carradine. It has the Bride go onto a journey to rebuild herself as well as go after all of her former colleagues as well as Bill as QT created a film that is bloody and enthralling.
The third film from Chan-wook Park’s Vengeance trilogy that include Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy is definitely a revenge film like no other as this one focuses on a woman getting revenge for a crime she didn’t commit. A crime that involved the kidnapping and murder of a young boy she never met as she would serve a thirteen-and-a-half prison sentence where she would gain loyalty during her time in helping others as they would repay the favor following her release. Starring Lee Young Ae, it is a film that has her trying to find the man who had committed this crime but also discover something far worse that not even the legal system would bring justice.
For the 43rd week of 2022 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We go into the subject of films in which the actors in the film didn’t like each other. Egos often come into play during production where in some cases. It helps the performances while other times it can be disruptive and chaotic leading to all sorts of problems. Here are my three picks:
Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s film about an aging actress who takes a fan into her inner circle as an assistant only to then upstage her leading to tension. The film marked a major comeback for Bette Davis yet the production was a major headache for many involved as there was tension between Davis and co-star Celeste Holm who played the role of Davis’ best friend. The two reportedly didn’t like each other as they barely said a word to each other except on set. Still, whatever tension and chaos that was going on in the film did at least result in a great movie.
2. Nick Nolte & Julia Roberts-I Love Trouble
Charles Shyer’s 1994 rom-com about two rival newspaper reporters who reluctantly work together to uncover a mysterious train derailment where so much more is going on. It is a film that obviously isn’t very good as it tried to be outlandish and zany but it felt forced while Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts obviously didn’t have any chemistry. Out of the set, the two clearly didn’t like each other as it added to the chaotic production behind the scenes.
One of the great films of the 21st Century so far marked a major return for George Miller who hadn’t done a live-action feature film in more than 15 years having spent much of the 2000s doing the Happy Feet films. A film that had been in development since 1987 and went through many trials and tribulations until shooting finally began in 2012. Yet, shooting in Namibia with re-shoots a year later in Australia didn’t make things easy for its two leads in Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron due to different acting styles and personalities. Hardy and Theron in a recent interview for Vanity Fair did talk about the tension between the two though both admitted that the intense production added to their issues with one another as both of them admitted faults from each other as they were able to work things out in the end.
For the 42nd week of 2022 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks as it’s Halloween season. We go into the subject of television in TV horror scores/themes as it’s something that helps play into the mood for a TV show. Even if it is funny or creepy. Here are my three picks:
1. The Twilight Zone
This famous theme created by Bernard Herrmann is instantly recognizable as it just has this air of terror in that opening note that is followed by elements of orchestral textures with electric guitars and percussions that add to the discomfort. It is a genius theme that remains untouchable in its presentation as it help set the tone for audiences to be in for some serious scares.
2. Tales from the Crypt
A show from HBO that ran from 1989 to 1996 had a theme by Danny Elfman that is iconic. Its orchestral presentation has this element of horror that isn’t just terrifying but also with an air of humor. Notably as the introduction itself is this amazing tracking shot where someone goes to a haunted house as the final shot is just great in the way it introduces to our host in the Cryptkeeper.
From David Lynch and Mark Frost as well as composer Angelo Badalamenti comes one of the greatest shows to emerge in the 1990s that really defies genres. While it is presented as a suspense-drama show, there was so much more that Lynch did up until early on in the second season as he was pressured by ABC to make the show more accessible that eventually lead to its cancellation and a prequel film of sorts in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me in 1992. The theme is this dreamy and somber piece by Badalamenti that doesn’t just play into the air of melancholia but its score also has elements of quirks and drama that made the show iconic leading to its 2017 revival in a third season that gave the show the finale it deserved.
For the 41st week of 2022 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks as it’s Halloween season. We go into the subject of a new home where people buy a new house thinking it’s going to be a new start when the reality is that it’s a fucking nightmare. Here are my three picks as these are films that are… well…. Not good at all:
1. Thir13en Ghosts
This was pretty lame despite a promising premise in which a man inherits a home from his uncle that he and his two kids can live unaware that it is a haunted mansion with ghosts living there. It had some gory elements and such but the end results of it is pretty stupid. The look of the ghosts are cool but it often plays into cheap scares and some cheesy kills as one would think that having a film with Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz, Matthew Lillard, Rah Digga, Shannon Elizabeth (who is briefly topless), and F. Murray Abraham would work but no. It was shit.
2. The Messengers
Starring pre-fame/pre-Twilight Kristen Stewart as a troubled teen who moves to a farm with her family in an attempt to deal with various issues and such from within seems like an interesting idea. Yet, it ends up being a generic film that has an extremely messy climax involving ghosts and other horrible shit. This was definitely not a fun film to watch at all. I feel bad for Stewart in this who was already becoming a promising actress then and is now one of the best working today. Yet, every actor has a stinker or two in them.
3. Dream House
One would expect that a horror film directed by Jim Sheridan starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Naomi Watts to be a winner but that is not what happened with Sheridan, Craig, and Weisz not only disowning the film but never bothered to promote it. Seeing the results, it’s no wonder they disowned it as it’s about a writer who moves into a new home with his wife and kids unaware that something isn’t right as it involved the death of a family inside the home. This is where things get fucked up as there’s a twist involved that makes the whole thing stupid as the film’s production was highly troubled due to clashes between Sheridan and one of its producers in James G. Robinson as the latter ended up re-cutting the whole film without Sheridan’s involvement who chose not to be involved and tried to get his name out of the film. I don’t blame Sheridan for this as no one involved should say anything good about it.
