Today, I mean. Via Showtime app. In addition to (sigh, exhale) Rebecca Hall’s Passing.
Finally Watching “Passing” Today
But in the meantime, consider this verdict from Smart Critic Friendo: “Most overpraised movie of the millennium. For all the obvious reasons.”
Joaquin Phoenix Discussion
Friendo to HE: “C’mon C’mon was so mediocre. I can’t get over critics digging this Mike Mills film.”
HE to Friendo: “I’ve never been much of a Mills fan. That Santa Barbara movie with Greta Gerwig was kind of a drag. 20th Century Friendos….Women, I mean. 20th Century Women.”
Friendo to HE: “I’m no fan either.”
HE to Friendo: “Smooth and mellow Joaquin doesn’t wash. I don’t want to hang with a nice, sensitive, caring father figure played by that fucking guy. To me Joaquin is a twitchy, flakey, cigarette–smoking weirdo. I can’t accept him as a kind, gentle, soft-caressing fellow.”
Friendo to HE: “I wrote this: ‘As much as I’ve championed Phoenix as one of the great living actors, it pains me to say that he’s miscast here. The actor tries to, for once, embody a ‘normal’ character but it just doesn’t work. He’s best at playing unstable eccentrics rather than any kind of subdued, big-city schlub a la Mark Ruffalo.”
Bad Old Days
Amazon previously offered Otto Preminger‘s Advise and Consent (’62) as an HD streamer, but no longer. Which means that someone (Kino Lorber?) is preparing a Bluray release.
Don Murray‘s closeted gay character, Sen. Brig Anderson of Utah, winds up killing himself over a gay blackmail attempt, which tells you how plugged-up the original 1959 Allen Drury book was.
“This was the first commercial film to include a scene in a gay bar, and I have to admit that even today the vibe is a bit much. (It reminds me of a Palm Springs gay bar I accidentally walked into once, and the smell of strong cologne was almost suffocating.) The first gay film that I really enjoyed and relaxed with was William Friedkin‘s The Boys In The Band (’70), but I’ve mentioned that once or twice.
Steve Hayes (“Tired Old Queen at the Movies”) delivers a savvy assessment:
Daniel Waters’ “Howl”
I took one look at this snap of screenwriter Daniel Waters and immediately thought of Francis Bacon‘s screaming pope paintings. And I thought “this could be a horror film character…a subdued, stay-at-home house dad who fancies himself as a gourmet chef, and suddenly he loses his mind,” etc. Just remove the spatula and replace it with a butcher knife or meat cleaver.
“Belfast”: First Joe Popcorn Looksies
Ten weeks after Kenneth Branagh‘s Belfast had its first showing at the Telluride Film Festival and after constant latherings of praise from film critics and festival audiences, it’s finally playing before ticket buyers in the gladiator arenas. Reactions from the HE community would be greatly appreciated. Please focus part of your writings on the music — to what extent does the musical score (i.e., the Van Morrison songs) make a difference? Anyway, that’s it. Thank you.
Why Did Bannon Indictment Take So Long?
On 10.21 the House of Representatives voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress over defying the January 6th committee and refusing to cooperate, etc. Attorney General Merrick Garland had no choice but to seek an indictment, but the House vote was over three weeks ago. From this corner it seemed as if the Justice Department was dragging ass. I don’t know if it could have been fast-tracked or not. I only know that a lot of activist Twitter types seemed irked and annoyed at the pace of things.
