Maybe I can ask for recommendations. I have a tricky family to entertain. There are six of us, all over 16, but with rather different preferences. Some prefer Disney, some prefer Marvel, some prefer action and some (well, one) prefer period drama. We have a weekly lockdown film night, and as you can imagine there’s a bit of difficulty keeping everyone happy.
We have all managed to enjoy The Martian simultaneously. Drama, but not too dramatic. A happy ending. Not too weird. Not too childish. Other films that have worked: Hunger Games, Harry Potter, The Incredibles. Can you recommend other films that might work similarly? This is more a quest for a lowest common denominator than necessarily really good films, I realise, but I’ve tried making everyone watch Spinal Tap and it didn’t end well. They didn’t even enjoy Napoleon Dynamite, so I’ve lost credibility as a recommender.
There are two categories of “good movies” in my mind. There’s “good cinema,” which represent an approach to consuming and appreciating movies based on their ability to leverage the medium to convey a story and characters in a way that would be impossible in another medium (such as literature or television or stage play). I don’t really put any time or effort into this sort of appreciation any more.
And then there’s “good flicks” which are movies that are not ‘good cinema’ but are enjoyable and I don’t feel as though I’ve wasted my time. Indiana Jones trilogy is definitely in this category and I still adore the movies. I’ve not kept up with MCU, but I believe those may live firmly in this category… but I am often surprised when seemingly “non-art” (i.e. business) projects come out of Hollywood and flirt with the former category.
Funny that, I think that, taking away the epic mythology, the Indiana Jones movies have aged better than Star Wars…
We watched Star Wars last night (obviously, given the date): I love that movie, but I can see how flawed it is in so many levels. Still, Harrison Ford with his humor, and the epic setting carry it through.
On the other hand, Last Crusade works in every level. Great epic adventure, amazing cast, and so, so funny. I will probably watch it with the family this weekend, they love it.
The Iron Giant is a masterpiece. The advertising was bad, and not enough people saw it, and that’s a shame. It also has an awesome message about morality, nobility and sacrifice which makes the modern superman movies look like stinky-trash-garbage in comparison.
FOr those of you interested in how flawed Star Wars could have been this documentary on YouTube is fascinating - forget Star Wars it’s fascinating anyway! If you’ve ever wondered what difference the editor makes…
The Dead Zone 1983
It was on Amazon Prime, I was looking for something to watch and there she blows!
I remembered this being a great film, with a fantastic performance from Christopher Walken.
It follows the character of Johnny Smith who wakes from a coma to find he has the ability to see the future. An adaptation of a Stephen King novel it’s worth reading about the development of the film after watching.
It’s episodic nature may upset some, but great performances set this film as one of the best King adaptations. And you know what? It’s a great film, with a fantastic performance from Christopher Walken…
Still worth a watch!
EDIT:
How the hell did I miss this out? Sheen comes across as such a slimy guy, he’ll tell you anything you want to get a vote, and yet the threat is there all the time…
Can also tentatively recommend the seven season TV show, despite its lack of Christopher Walken. (Tentatively because, well, I’ve seen one season of those seven. It was great, though.)
(just looking at the ‘special edition’ clumsy robot bloopers and jawa pranks that George added to A New Hope is a big flashing red light that this man needs an editor badly)
