Day: September 21, 2023

HE has two messages for Eddie Ginley and all the Anatomy of a Fall snooties who had dismissed the idea of France selecting The Pot-au-Feu (aka The Taste of Things) as its official submission for the Best Int’l Feature Oscar.

In the wake of France having snubbed Justine Triet‘s bad-marriage courtroom procedural in favor of Tran Anh Hung’s sensual masterpiece, HE’s first message is “hah!” Message #2: “poor babies!”

Nothing makes me feel better than to remind know-it-alls that they don’t know it all.

France did right by selecting an instant classic that is not only spoken entirely in French (Anatomy contains roughly 60% French vs. 40% English) but exudes the soul of France by way of fine French cuisine.

Thanks to World of Reel‘s Jordan Ruimy for the heads up.

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Here’s the original post (9.20.23).

This is an old story, but it can’t hurt to tell it again.

It’s been 21 years since the late Roger Ebert pushed back at Asian-American political correctness following a Park City Library screening of Justin Lin‘s Better Luck Tomorrow.

The original version of Lin’s film, which I saw at the very same screening that Ebert attended, was a very sharp and striking film about opportunism and amorality among Asian American youths. During the q & a some guy got up and said this kind of depiction denigrated Asian-American culture and called it “empty and amoral.” Ebert stood up and called that way of thinking repressive horseshit.

Can you imagine how anti-woke Ebert would be today if he was still with us?

Rewatching this video reminds me how Lin copped out on Tomorrow‘s ending after his film got picked up by Paramount. In so doing Lin conveyed to the suits that he was basically looking to roll over and play ball and make commercial films. And that’s what he wound up doing.

After the Paramount acquisition Lin got pressured about the original ending (in which the lead guy, played by Parry Shen, gets away with murder and isn’t all that bothered about it) being overly dark and despairing. So Lin changed it so that the film implied at the very end that Shen would probably get caught for his crime.

Lin’s capitulation is partly what led to my posting this imaginary conversation piece.

GenX dads with attitudes vs. Millennials, Zoomers and sensitive Stalinists. Pretty much a Bill Burr show — starring, directed by, co-written (with Bill Tishler), co-produced by. Plus Bobby Cannavale and Bokeem Woodbine. Netflix debut on 10.20.

Pic was described as a “semi-autobiographical” and “Bill’s stand-up in a narrative form” by The Hollywood Reporter‘s James Hibberd.

…and others can’t. Or shouldn’t, at least. Nic Cage is among the latter group. I am too — I could never, ever go there. Which is why finding a certain clinic in Prague was one of the best things that ever happened in my life.

Posted on 5.11.17: With God’s grace, even moderately talented, less-than-genius-level actors can briefly rise to the heights. Simply by being lucky enough to find the right role in the right film at the right time.

HE’s Top Ten in this regard: Madonna in Evita. Vin Diesel in Find Me Guilty. Kate Hudson in Almost Famous. Justin Timberlake in The Social Network. Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight. Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love. Sly Stallone in Rocky. Ann Margret in Carnal Knowledge. Ryan O’Neal in Barry Lyndon. Gary Lockwood in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Which others?

Kurt Russell: “Nine years ago Godzilla turned fat. Actually morbidly obese. He was totally out of control, and what’s worse, 90% of the fan base blamed Hollywood Elsewhere…a massively overweight Godzilla wasn’t the problem, they said, but fatphobia itself. Everything went downhill from there.”

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Posted on 8.22.19: I respect the nostalgia that some have shared about the drive-in experience, and I love the Americana aspect of drive-ins…those iconic images of ‘50s and ‘60s films playing to an army of classic Chevy roadsters, Impalas, Buicks, Dodge station wagons, Cadillacs, Ford Fairlanes and T-Birds.

But if you cared even a little bit about Movie Catholic viewing standards (decent sound, tolerable light levels, no headlights hitting the screen every five minutes) you avoided drive-ins like the plague. If you went to drive-in it was mostly for the heavy breathing, and you brought your own beer.

I never actually “did it” at a drive-in. Too uncomfortable. Lots of second-base and third-base action, but what is that in the greater scheme?

Wise guy to HE: “I guess this explains the affection for Elton John ballads. You really are from Connecticut, aren’t you?”

HE to Wise Guy: “What are you saying, that people actually got laid at the drive-in? Some did, I guess. But they sure kept it a secret.”

The last time I saw a film at a drive-in was sometime in the early to mid ’80s. I think it was a Bob Zemeckis film (Used Cars or Romancing The Stone). Somewhere in the northern Burbank area, or in North Hollywood. My first drive-in experience was with my parents, somewhere in the vicinity of Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore.

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