TBD

May 27, 2020

"Playwrights teach us nothing about love.
They make it pretty,
they make it comical,
or they make it lust,
but they cannot make it true."

Even though I've been doing it for a while, it seems my formatting for this whole Does It Hold Up? interim series is a bit confusing. Sorry about that. 😑Trying to make it clearer this week!

If you're new to the newsletter, welcome! What I like to call "the bullshit" has changed the focus of the email until theaters are back open fully. Until then, I'm curating movies each week, which we all vote on, and then watch and see if they hold up. Please feel free to offer up suggestions, a set of movies based on a theme or a just a movie you've never seen, but would like to - all feedback welcome.

In industry news, Tenet, the Warner Bros tentpole from Christopher Nolan is still on track to release on July 17th. In fact, they released a second full trailer. Don't be surprised if it moves, but also don't be surprised if it doesn't. Nolan is a huge theatrical release fan and seems he really wants to be the first "big" release when theaters open back up. Plus, if you actually crashed a 747, you might want people to see it too.

In other "the entertainment world is kinda batshit right now" news, Warner Bros. is taking another risk and paying (potentially $30 million) to release the "Snyder Cut" of Justice League on HBO Max. TL;DR director Zack Snyder (who also made Man of Steel, Batman v Superman) couldn't finish making the movie and its release went... not great. Cue fans tweeting their 🍑s off and WB seeing it as a potential "moment" for the forthcoming streaming service (which is out today in fact).

Elsewhere, Jon Stewart's political satire Irresistible, starring Steve Carrell / Rose Byrne, is going to VOD (probably best) and Apple bought Tom Hanks directed WW II navy movie Greyhound (also probably best).

Lastly, quick update on the whole Tom Cruise in space movie thing. It apparently is happening, and Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow, Bourne Identity) is directing it.

Cutoff? Go here, click "most recent edition."

BEING JOHN
MALKOVICH
(1999)

What a wild movie. The fact it even exists is implausible, let alone it being good. Props to John Malkovich for being such a good sport. He gets to have a lot of fun in the movie, so I guess it makes sense. But with first time writer and director? Bold. It's a movie that works because even though it is so odd, it builds a world where the odd is normal. A building with a 7 1/2 floor? Uh, ok. A couple that has a monkey as a pet? K. A woman who speaks incoherently? Sure. A hole into John Malkovich's head? I mean, things are already weird, so let's make em even weirder. Inventive stuff. I quite enjoyed the ride (especially the Malkovich in Malkovich scene, lol).

It's interesting watching it in the context of Charlie Kaufman's and Spike Jonze's later work too. Kaufman clearly has a thing for puppets (see: Anomalisa) and Jonze would go on to use his "weird becomes normal" skills to great effect in Her where you really believe (or at least I did) a guy could fall in love with an AI.

HEATHERS
(1989)

R / 1 hr 42 mins
New World Video / RT: 93% (56 reviews)

Yes, this was part of an "early Christian Slater" theme, but we all know the real star here is... the shoulder pads. I mean, how awesome are those things? They're like 2020's lip injections, the bigger the um, better? I kid (kinda). The actual star here is clearly Winona Ryder, who has the difficult job of splitting two awful sides of teenagedom - those who mock and cause injury with their words, aka "the Heathers," and those who brood silently, but want to cause physical harm, aka our beloved Mr. Slater. And she's supposed to somehow stay sympathetic to the audience whilst willingly cavorting with both sides. Or at least that's how I remember it. It's been a minute. So let's all watch a movie about teenagers attempting to murder each other in hopes of learning something about ourselves (I don't kid).

Btw, if you're yearning for more Slater (of course you are), read this piece on him from Rolling Stone just as Heathers was about to be released. It's a fascinating, and messed up (he was forced to do nudity at an extremely young age?!), time capsule.

The Others: in case your preferences lay (lie?) elsewhere - True Romance, Kuffs & Pump Up the Volume.

Are we at a point where we can scare the crap out of ourselves yet? I hope so, because I just created a horror movie series. 😬 And since most of our movies have been pre-2000, I selected movies post - but nothing past 2010 because that starts to be too recent IMO.

28 DAYS LATER
(2002)

A visual representation of what Jared Leto may have thought that world had come after exiting his meditation retreat. Also a really cool scary movie from what I remember. Directed by Danny Boyle after he had already done Trainspotting and The Beach, but well before he dropped out of directing the forthcoming Bond. So, think it holds up?

THE DESCENT
(2005)

I knew little about it when I saw it and really ended up liking the heck out of the movie. I haven't seen it since so I'm curious if it still feels as fresh (for a horror movie) and the claustrophobic vibe holds on as tight as it did back then. But even it doesn't hold up, at least I know the poster does.

CLOVERFIELD
(2008)

The first movie I've featured that I actually worked on (I worked on Paramount's marketing team for a good while) . And it was certainly an experience. This movie's hype was probably bigger than the movie was able to pay off, but it was still a pretty darn good movie. But is it still?

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
(2008)

Most vampire movies involve adult sized vein suckers. Not this one. A boy meets what looks like a girl, but is an undead immortal who kills humans for blood and together they seem to form a, shall we say, abnormal relationship. To be fair, I haven't seen this one, so I'm not entirely sure, but curious to see if it still holds up, as I've heard good things. In fact, this is the best reviewed of all the movies this week. Note: it's in Swedish.

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