What movies have you been watching?

[LaineyAZ]

We watched Hillbilly Elegy on Netflix, with Amy Adams as the white trash druggy mom and Glenn Close as the sassy matriarch, based on the book with the same name. We liked it. It touches on all of the socioeconomic themes of Appalachia without delving reeeally deep like a depressing drama. It's directed by Ron Howard, so it has the Hollywood sheen of predictability and watchability for the masses. I'm not a huge Ron Howard fan, but many will like this.

I haven't read the book, so I don't know how faithful it is to the source material.

I watched it and I've also read the book.  The movie was pretty close to his memoir.  I was surprised to see the reviews were only so-so.
 
I especially liked the young actor Owen Asztalos who played the main character, JD Vance, as a teen - he had a lot of pivotal scenes and nailed every one. 
That kid is going places and I'm looking forward to seeing him act in future roles.

[mspym]

John Henry - what a mess of a story.  It couldn't work out what movie it wanted to be and from the acting none of the actors were in the same film.

Rebecca 2020 - worth watching for Kristen Scott Thomas as Mrs Danvers but yikes everything else was *not great*. The director added a lot of things to the story, none of which really worked, and mostly didn't know/care they were filming a Gotic Romance. I really wish del Toro had come off Crimson Peak [GREAT] and then done this one. I think it would have been splendid.

[uniwelder]

We watched Hillbilly Elegy on Netflix, with Amy Adams as the white trash druggy mom and Glenn Close as the sassy matriarch, based on the book with the same name. We liked it. It touches on all of the socioeconomic themes of Appalachia without delving reeeally deep like a depressing drama. It's directed by Ron Howard, so it has the Hollywood sheen of predictability and watchability for the masses. I'm not a huge Ron Howard fan, but many will like this.

I haven't read the book, so I don't know how faithful it is to the source material.

I watched it and I've also read the book.  The movie was pretty close to his memoir.  I was surprised to see the reviews were only so-so.

I especially liked the young actor Owen Asztalos who played the main character, JD Vance, as a teen - he had a lot of pivotal scenes and nailed every one. 
That kid is going places and I'm looking forward to seeing him act in future roles.

Watched it also and listened to the audiobook a fews years back--- I enjoyed both.  The movie covers the biographical part of his life that is in the book, but the other half of the book are his views on the how and why of poverty and perspectives in Appalachia.  Perhaps its because I agree with the author and am biased, I found reviews of his book and the movie to be quite shocking.  People didn't seem to critique on valid content about the book--- it was mostly emotional attacks--- on how he looks down on the poor, is monetizing on other's misfortunes, etc.  For the movie, I didn't see the same outrage, but I did see reviews where people said the performances were good, film a bit predictable, good quality by director/writer, flashbacks confusing at times, and then gave 2/5 stars.  Like, yes, a pretty decent movie, but FU anyway.
 

[slackmax]

Watched the first 15 minutes of Mandy, a movie about Nick Cage going on a chainsaw rampage for revenge for his girlfriend's killing.

Had to take it out and put in a different DVD. Mandy was just too depressing. Maybe it gets better, but first 15 minutes just desultory, and not in any interesting or artistic way. Just blah. 

I'll give it another 15 minutes sometime.   

It got some good reviews, some bad.   

[bbqbonelesswing]

On my 96-year-old friend's recommendation, we watched "The Queen's Gambit" on Netflix. We really enjoyed it.

I loved The Queen's Gambit. It helped me finally convinced my SO to let me teach her to play chess, so that's a win!

[Metalcat]

On my 96-year-old friend's recommendation, we watched "The Queen's Gambit" on Netflix. We really enjoyed it.

I loved The Queen's Gambit. It helped me finally convinced my SO to let me teach her to play chess, so that's a win!

Wrong thread though. This is the movie thread. We have all the Queen's Gambit chat in the tv show thread.

[sui generis]

On my 96-year-old friend's recommendation, we watched "The Queen's Gambit" on Netflix. We really enjoyed it.

I loved The Queen's Gambit. It helped me finally convinced my SO to let me teach her to play chess, so that's a win!

Wrong thread though. This is the movie thread. We have all the Queen's Gambit chat in the tv show thread.

Ha!  Thanks for clarifying.  I've been telling my DH that we should probably watch the Queen's Gambit but that I didn't know if it was a movie or TV show because I've seen it discussed in both of these threads.  I settled on the idea that perhaps it was a mini-series, since I didn't get the impression that there will be further seasons.  I've been honestly confused but, as is obvious, not yet motivated enough to look it up given the pile up of other things we are watching.

[sui generis]

We saw Dark Water.  My husband kept groaning about it because he kept thinking it was a horror movie by the title (fair!) but it's actually a "based on true events" movie about the environmental and health travesties committed by DuPont and the lawsuits that have ultimately been able to hold them just the teensiest bit to account.  Pretty depressing stuff, even though I know it meant to end on a somewhat happy note.  The movie itself is not super well done (a tad slow in parts), but not bad at all either.  In fact, the fact that I'd not heard of it before and it is only a couple years old and has famous people like Anne Hathaway, Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins and others in it made me wonder if it was all part of DuPont's power to suppress info and accountability (they talk in the movie about how the Justice Dept mysteriously dropped a case against them a few years back)!

[Metalcat]

We saw Dark Water.  My husband kept groaning about it because he kept thinking it was a horror movie by the title (fair!) but it's actually a "based on true events" movie about the environmental and health travesties committed by DuPont and the lawsuits that have ultimately been able to hold them just the teensiest bit to account.  Pretty depressing stuff, even though I know it meant to end on a somewhat happy note.  The movie itself is not super well done (a tad slow in parts), but not bad at all either.  In fact, the fact that I'd not heard of it before and it is only a couple years old and has famous people like Anne Hathaway, Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins and others in it made me wonder if it was all part of DuPont's power to suppress info and accountability (they talk in the movie about how the Justice Dept mysteriously dropped a case against them a few years back)!

Dark Water is a horror film, a shitty 2005 one with Jennifer Connelly. Lol. That might be why you assumed Dark Waters was a horror film as well.

[Dicey]

On my 96-year-old friend's recommendation, we watched "The Queen's Gambit" on Netflix. We really enjoyed it.

I loved The Queen's Gambit. It helped me finally convinced my SO to let me teach her to play chess, so that's a win!

Wrong thread though. This is the movie thread. We have all the Queen's Gambit chat in the tv show thread.

Clearly, I don't watch enough of either to know the difference, lol. We watched it in two sittings. Because all of the episodes were released at the same time, it seems more of a hybrid. It's entertaining, whatever it is.

[techwiz]

Quigley Down Under a 1990 film with Tom Selleck in an Australian-American Western. 
 

[Roadrunner53]

Watched Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers. Seen them before but still great to watch again!

[slackmax]

Watched the first 15 minutes of Mandy, a movie about Nick Cage going on a chainsaw rampage for revenge for his girlfriend's killing.

Had to take it out and put in a different DVD. Mandy was just too depressing. Maybe it gets better, but first 15 minutes just desultory, and not in any interesting or artistic way. Just blah. 

I'll give it another 15 minutes sometime.   

It got some good reviews, some bad.   

OK, I watched the rest of the movie 'Mandy'.  I got into it and liked it. It's over the top weird, crazy, and violent, but interesting.  The bad guys in the deep woods cult are so well cast, perfect for their roles.   

I watched the 'behind the scenes' footage that came with the dvd, and the actors seem like normal people, but wow do they get weird and darkside when acting their parts in the movie.

[sui generis]

Watched Clemency last weekend, about a warden (a black woman) in a prison and her experience with implementing the death penalty. Not based on a true story. It was on the "artsy" side which made it quite beautiful in places and, I thought, less effective in others (by overusing some techniques), ultimately to the detriment of the actual storytelling. Couldn't quite connect with this movie in the end.

[Metalcat]

Colossus.

Um...I'm not sure what I was expecting from a movie with Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis about a monster terrorizing Seoul, but that was NOT what I was expecting, like, AT ALL.

I really, really liked it, but I can't explain anything about why without totally ruining what makes the movie so interesting.

I'll just say this, it's not a monster movie and it's not a comedy, very little is predictable, and I 100% believe Sudeikis as his character. Like, I *know* that guy, and whomever wrote him knows him personally as well. Those of us who know him, know exactly what I'm talking about.

[mspym]

@Malcat Colossus is such a good film. I really enjoyed it.

I just saw Happiest Season which I both enjoyed and felt unsettled about while watching. It falls firmly in the traditional partner goes to Meet the Family (with associated humiliations due to comic misunderstandings) film genre and is a solid performer in that category however the central premise revolves around the two leads going back into the closet for the visit and that seemed like an ask too far for a meet the family rom-com. The actors were funny. Kristen Stewart was an excellent soft dyke, there were many clothes and lines I wanted to steal.

[Tigerpine]

Just saw Elf with Will Ferrell last weekend.  It's a cute movie.  And it has both Bob Newhart and Ed Asner!

[EscapeVelocity2020]

Not sure how I happened upon it, but 'Mank' on Netflix is an impressive walk through 1940's Hollywood.  I'm glad I had Google with me while watching to poke around the depths of what was going on, not that the surface story was boring either... 

From time to time, I really enjoy stuff like this (in addition to the trending Michael Bay superficial pleasure), and deeply appreciate that it is still being created.  Truly hope there is always room for both.  But I can see how this is a much more risky investment (hell, it's in black and white) vs. something like Transformers 7 - Autobot Annihilation!!

[Metalcat]

Not sure how I happened upon it, but 'Mank' on Netflix is an impressive walk through 1940's Hollywood.  I'm glad I had Google with me while watching to poke around the depths of what was going on, not that the surface story was boring either... 

From time to time, I really enjoy stuff like this (in addition to the trending Michael Bay superficial pleasure), and deeply appreciate that it is still being created.  Truly hope there is always room for both.  But I can see how this is a much more risky investment (hell, it's in black and white) vs. something like Transformers 7 - Autobot Annihilation!!

Not necessarily, Autobot Annihilation would have an astronomical budget to break even on.

I think non action movies are starting to have lower budgets, but that's not necessarily detrimental. In fact, it can give a lot more artistic freedom when there's less pressure to be a smash just to break even. A low budget Blair Witch can make A LOT more money than an ultra expensive to make action movie that doesn't perform.

Studios can test out less experienced, less expensive actors, which means more lead roles for POC because they don't need to bank on Scarlett Johansson in an Asian role to draw enough butts to seats. The big names are all doing prestige television now anyway.

The big thing to account for as well is China. A lot of action movies are specifically designed to appeal to the Chinese market. A lot of non action movies aren't.

The bigger the budget of a movie, the more it depends on doing well in China. A lower budget movie doesn't have to, and might not even legally be allowed to be screened there due to the censorship laws.

[mspym]

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - it's very good.

[Noodle]

Most recently, the live action Mulan. It was beautiful to look at, but to me did not have the same heart and charm as the animated version. I did appreciate that the director tried something different instead of just making a shot-by-shot adaptation of the animated movie.

Also watched Ithaca, which was a Meg Ryan project from a few years ago. I enjoyed the period WWII setting, but the movie didn't really seem to work as a story--it was more a series of moments that various characters experienced.

[GuitarStv]

Sputnik . . . I've never watched a Russian film before, but this was a fun sci-fi style Aliensish movie.

[Metalcat]

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - it's very good.

Thank you! I was just wondering about it.

AFM, I just watched Vertigo by Hitchcock. Knowing how objectifying and creepy he was of his "icy blonds", it's hard to appreciate as brilliant a movie whose plot is largely the main character objectifying and being creepy about an "icy blond".

[lost_in_the_endless_aisle]

Sputnik . . . I've never watched a Russian film before, but this was a fun sci-fi style Aliensish movie.

Haven't seen that but the season is coming up for the annual watching of The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!, which is a New Years' tradition among many Russians (it's a stupidly amusing movie). Most Russian movies are monotone and bad but I guess Tarkovsky is good, particularly with Stalker and to a lesser-extent Solaris. Russians don't normally do "fun"...

[mspym]

@Malcat it definitely has some Adapted From a Play / Coffee is for closers energy. The acting was excellent, great story, top notch cast and music.

[lost_in_the_endless_aisle]

Oh and for my part:

Cuties -- not good but not at all as tawdry as some have suggested (I've seen Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom for heaven's sake, so it's amusing to consider all of the pearl-clutching over this!)

Anomolisa -- part 1 of catching up on Charlie Kaufman output. One of his more unsettling films, which is saying a lot! Didn't love it (though in the best possible way) and it took a little while too long for me to fully realize why all the voices were done by the same voice actor...

I'm Thinking of Ending Things -- part 2 of catching up on Kaufman. Love the initial driving scene but once at the house and thereafter the movie is less-focused and (I'm surprised I can say this) too neurotic even for my taste (and I loved Synechdoche, New York!). I generally love Meth Damon though, and Jessie Buckley is incredible.

Hillbilly Elegy -- Ugh...very mediocre. For the record, I did not read the book. The grandmother character is great, of course. This might sound odd but it is too positive of a story for me. Better are the stories where the protagonist ends up beneath the wheel.

[sui generis]

Inherent Vice.  I really don't know what to think of it.  It was like watching a combo of Chinatown and Pulp Fiction?

[GuitarStv]

Sputnik . . . I've never watched a Russian film before, but this was a fun sci-fi style Aliensish movie.

Haven't seen that but the season is coming up for the annual watching of The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!, which is a New Years' tradition among many Russians (it's a stupidly amusing movie). Most Russian movies are monotone and bad but I guess Tarkovsky is good, particularly with Stalker and to a lesser-extent Solaris. Russians don't normally do "fun"...

I thought it was interesting that nobody smiled.  Like, not once.  In a two hour movie.  :P

[wenchsenior]

Inherent Vice.  I really don't know what to think of it.  It was like watching a combo of Chinatown and Pulp Fiction?

That one has really stuck in my memory as something I like more and more when I think back on it. 

[techwiz]

I have been searching what is available to stream by year picking a few old Christmas movies to watch with the family. The other day we were looking at the year 1997 and found and watched these two:
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
Home Alone 3

[bbqbonelesswing]

This past week I watched:

Home Alone - A Christmas classic.

Enemy at the Gates - If you can accept that the Russians all have British accents, and don't take it too seriously, this is a good WWII movie about Russian and German snipers hunting each other amidst the rubble of Stalingrad.

The Prom - This wasn't very good. We bailed about 15 minutes in.

[sui generis]

We watched "So I Married An Axe Murderer" last night. Been a long time since I've seen it and I have fond memories. Happily, it mostly stood the test of time and we enjoyed it. Having lived in San Francisco since my first viewing as a kid, I know recognize the weird patchwork of shots, but still cool to see all the familiar areas. Mike Myers was fun in his heydey!

[Metalcat]

Palm Springs

I LOVED this movie. It's ridiculous, but it hit exactly the right tone of twisted humour for me. I don't love Andy Samberg in general, but sometimes he evokes a more twisted version of his goofy humour that resonates just right with me.

I loved his movie Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. It had a group of us roaring laughing at times. Again, profoundly stupid, but also kind of amazing, and one musical number that is forever seared into my brain, but in a *spontaneously chuckle out loud while walking down the street when it pops into my head* kind of way.

[wenchsenior]

Holiday movies

Klaus: beautiful old-school-looking animation; story started slow but ended up being good

Jingle Jangle:  a fantasy-Victorian musical with pretty good songs and absolutely STUPENDOUS sets and costume design. And who knew Forest Whitaker had such a pretty tenor?

[mspym]

Palm Springs

I LOVED this movie. It's ridiculous, but it hit exactly the right tone of twisted humour for me. I don't love Andy Samberg in general, but sometimes he evokes a more twisted version of his goofy humour that resonates just right with me.

I loved his movie Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. It had a group of us roaring laughing at times. Again, profoundly stupid, but also kind of amazing, and one musical number that is forever seared into my brain, but in a *spontaneously chuckle out loud while walking down the street when it pops into my head* kind of way.

Both of these movies are excellent. I think Palm Springs is a more clever film, but I love the goofy energy of Popstar. Have you tried Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story? That is one that *ruined* me for musical biopics afterwards and I still get lines pop into my head regularly.

We watched Booksmart the other night and even the 14 year old stuck around for the whole thing. Just a lot smarter and funnier than I expected.

[Psychstache]

Holiday movies

Klaus: beautiful old-school-looking animation; story started slow but ended up being good

Jingle Jangle:  a fantasy-Victorian musical with pretty good songs and absolutely STUPENDOUS sets and costume design. And who knew Forest Whitaker had such a pretty tenor?

Yes! A big +1 for Jingle Jangle on Netflix. It was like a colorful holiday version of the greatest showman which we also loved.

[sui generis]

Remains of the Day. Very well done adaptation from the novel. Anthony Hopkins is excellent (though I will never not see him as Hannibal Lecter). It feels like it wouldn't be great as a stand alone, like not having read the book. But I guess I cannot say.

The only downside was we watched this on Pluto TV as we don't subscribe to any streaming services, and the ads were sometimes as frequent as 5 minutes. In a 2.5 hr movie. And the first ad each time was the same, always immediately repeated a second time, followed by 2 more of about 4 other ads. So that was not worth it.

[Metalcat]

Remains of the Day. Very well done adaptation from the novel. Anthony Hopkins is excellent (though I will never not see him as Hannibal Lecter). It feels like it wouldn't be great as a stand alone, like not having read the book. But I guess I cannot say.

The only downside was we watched this on Pluto TV as we don't subscribe to any streaming services, and the ads were sometimes as frequent as 5 minutes. In a 2.5 hr movie. And the first ad each time was the same, always immediately repeated a second time, followed by 2 more of about 4 other ads. So that was not worth it.

I always see Anthony Hopkins and think of two very different roles:

Titus- adaptation of the play, profoundly, wonderfully dark and twisted, and Jessica Lange is amazing. I believe it's from 1999. I feel like no one has seen this.

The Worlds Fastest Indian- this is classic charming Anthony Hopkins role. I don't usually rewatch movies, but I've rewatched this a few times just to watch it with people. I can't imagine anyone not liking it.

[Tigerpine]

My Christmas tradition is to watch "A Christmas Story".  It's easily my favorite Christmas comedy movie.  Everything about it is so perfect.  "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

[Metalcat]

My Christmas tradition is to watch "A Christmas Story".  It's easily my favorite Christmas comedy movie.  Everything about it is so perfect.  "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

Still never seen it. Only found out yesterday that there's something to do with shooting a kid's eye out, but I still don't know what the actual plot is. Lol

[Tigerpine]

My Christmas tradition is to watch "A Christmas Story".  It's easily my favorite Christmas comedy movie.  Everything about it is so perfect.  "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

Still never seen it. Only found out yesterday that there's something to do with shooting a kid's eye out, but I still don't know what the actual plot is. Lol

It's a nostalgic look at a young boy's quest of getting a BB gun for Christmas.  All the adults around him give him the same response, "You'll shoot your eye out!"  But the passions of youth are not so easily daunted.

[Metalcat]

My Christmas tradition is to watch "A Christmas Story".  It's easily my favorite Christmas comedy movie.  Everything about it is so perfect.  "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

Still never seen it. Only found out yesterday that there's something to do with shooting a kid's eye out, but I still don't know what the actual plot is. Lol

It's a nostalgic look at a young boy's quest of getting a BB gun for Christmas.  All the adults around him give him the same response, "You'll shoot your eye out!"  But the passions of youth are not so easily daunted.

Ah, so not about a kid who actually shoots his own eye out?
Good to know. DH was being cagey about confirming or denying that. He thought it was hilarious that I somehow knew absolutely nothing about this movie.

[sui generis]

My Christmas tradition is to watch "A Christmas Story".  It's easily my favorite Christmas comedy movie.  Everything about it is so perfect.  "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

Still never seen it. Only found out yesterday that there's something to do with shooting a kid's eye out, but I still don't know what the actual plot is. Lol

It's a nostalgic look at a young boy's quest of getting a BB gun for Christmas.  All the adults around him give him the same response, "You'll shoot your eye out!"  But the passions of youth are not so easily daunted.

Ah, so not about a kid who actually shoots his own eye out?
Good to know. DH was being cagey about confirming or denying that. He thought it was hilarious that I somehow knew absolutely nothing about this movie.

Wellllll, there is some subtlety about the eventual shooting out of the eye (or not!). You should watch it and find out!

[sui generis]

Remains of the Day. Very well done adaptation from the novel. Anthony Hopkins is excellent (though I will never not see him as Hannibal Lecter). It feels like it wouldn't be great as a stand alone, like not having read the book. But I guess I cannot say.

The only downside was we watched this on Pluto TV as we don't subscribe to any streaming services, and the ads were sometimes as frequent as 5 minutes. In a 2.5 hr movie. And the first ad each time was the same, always immediately repeated a second time, followed by 2 more of about 4 other ads. So that was not worth it.

I always see Anthony Hopkins and think of two very different roles:

Titus- adaptation of the play, profoundly, wonderfully dark and twisted, and Jessica Lange is amazing. I believe it's from 1999. I feel like no one has seen this.

The Worlds Fastest Indian- this is classic charming Anthony Hopkins role. I don't usually rewatch movies, but I've rewatched this a few times just to watch it with people. I can't imagine anyone not liking it.

Actually you make a good point. I love the World's Fastest Indian and didn't think of him as Dr Lecter then. That character is so different. You'd think the character of Stevens is as well, but some of his comportment and expression is just so similar between the two I guess...

[wenchsenior]

Remains of the Day. Very well done adaptation from the novel. Anthony Hopkins is excellent (though I will never not see him as Hannibal Lecter). It feels like it wouldn't be great as a stand alone, like not having read the book. But I guess I cannot say.

The only downside was we watched this on Pluto TV as we don't subscribe to any streaming services, and the ads were sometimes as frequent as 5 minutes. In a 2.5 hr movie. And the first ad each time was the same, always immediately repeated a second time, followed by 2 more of about 4 other ads. So that was not worth it.

I always see Anthony Hopkins and think of two very different roles:

Titus- adaptation of the play, profoundly, wonderfully dark and twisted, and Jessica Lange is amazing. I believe it's from 1999. I feel like no one has seen this.

The Worlds Fastest Indian- this is classic charming Anthony Hopkins role. I don't usually rewatch movies, but I've rewatched this a few times just to watch it with people. I can't imagine anyone not liking it.

Titus is great!

It's funny, but I mostly think of Hopkins as eternally stoic, repressed, and romantically tormented (Lion in Winter/Remains of the Day/Howard's End etc.)  Hannibal exists as its own thing (and I was a fan of Brian Cox's Hannibal before Hopkins ever took the role) within the culture, bigger than any single actor.

[OtherJen]

My Christmas tradition is to watch "A Christmas Story".  It's easily my favorite Christmas comedy movie.  Everything about it is so perfect.  "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

It's one of my favorites, too. Watched it yesterday morning with a cup of coffee and my knitting.

[jamaicaspanish]

Titus- adaptation of the play, profoundly, wonderfully dark and twisted, and Jessica Lange is amazing. I believe it's from 1999. I feel like no one has seen this.


Former Advanced Placement English teacher chiming in:
The year was 2000. 
Y2K had come and gone with barely a glitch.
I was teaching in a rural-ish school.
I was inventorying the storage room of the English department and came across a lesser-known play of Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus
Hmmm, I thought to myself. 
I've never read this particular play.
It might be fun to experience a new-to-me-Shakespeare with my AP class.
So I added Titus to the reading list.
We read the entire play together in class.
My commentaries, descriptions, predictions, and wtf reactions were novel and authentic.
We had a blast discovering the play together.
The local Blockbuster had a copy of the then-new movie.
Hmmm, I thought to myself. 
Hopkins. Lange. Based on Shakespeare.
We should definitely watch this in class.
The seniors and I had a blast watching an R-rated movie in class.
10/10 would do again.

[Metalcat]

Titus- adaptation of the play, profoundly, wonderfully dark and twisted, and Jessica Lange is amazing. I believe it's from 1999. I feel like no one has seen this.


Former Advanced Placement English teacher chiming in:
The year was 2000. 
Y2K had come and gone with barely a glitch.
I was teaching in a rural-ish school.
I was inventorying the storage room of the English department and came across a lesser-known play of Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus
Hmmm, I thought to myself. 
I've never read this particular play.
It might be fun to experience a new-to-me-Shakespeare with my AP class.
So I added Titus to the reading list.
We read the entire play together in class.
My commentaries, descriptions, predictions, and wtf reactions were novel and authentic.
We had a blast discovering the play together.
The local Blockbuster had a copy of the then-new movie.
Hmmm, I thought to myself. 
Hopkins. Lange. Based on Shakespeare.
We should definitely watch this in class.
The seniors and I had a blast watching an R-rated movie in class.
10/10 would do again.

Lol! That's fantastic.

[wenchsenior]

Titus- adaptation of the play, profoundly, wonderfully dark and twisted, and Jessica Lange is amazing. I believe it's from 1999. I feel like no one has seen this.


Former Advanced Placement English teacher chiming in:
The year was 2000. 
Y2K had come and gone with barely a glitch.
I was teaching in a rural-ish school.
I was inventorying the storage room of the English department and came across a lesser-known play of Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus
Hmmm, I thought to myself. 
I've never read this particular play.
It might be fun to experience a new-to-me-Shakespeare with my AP class.
So I added Titus to the reading list.
We read the entire play together in class.
My commentaries, descriptions, predictions, and wtf reactions were novel and authentic.
We had a blast discovering the play together.
The local Blockbuster had a copy of the then-new movie.
Hmmm, I thought to myself. 
Hopkins. Lange. Based on Shakespeare.
We should definitely watch this in class.
The seniors and I had a blast watching an R-rated movie in class.
10/10 would do again.

Lol! That's fantastic.

:geekingout:  I really wish I'd been able to study more Shakespeare with good teachers and experiences like that.  I had one pretty good high school experience with Merchant of Venice, and one good college experience with Othello, and that was it.  I did carry several plays with me at all times in junior year HS-sophomore year of college for 'light reading' LOL.  Such a nerd. And I still went on to be a science major!

[meghan88]

A favourite Christmas movie of ours it Trading Places.

Speaking of Eddie Murphy, we watched Dolemite is My Name last night on Netflix and liked it very much.  Here's the trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws1YIKsuTjQ