Folly Avenue Film Club

Diner - Saturday 9th July

Still flying high from a great showing of Ratatouille on Saturday. I was confident the DVD disk would hold up, since it was new out of the box (thanks, Claire) but I wasn't expecting quite as many to show up. There were over 40 people, easily our best turn out in three years. Thanks for making it a wonderful night.

 

I'm not going to say too much about the movie - everyone knows I am a Pixar fanboy - but I have to say I had forgotten about that moment when ghastly food critic Anton Ego is transported back to his childhood and his mother's kitchen by one taste of Remy's ratatouille. Reminiscent of this brilliant sequence in Up, when a married life full of love, dreams, missed opportunities and sadness is summed up in a beautiful 4 minute montage, it's fabulous 'proper' movie-making which probably could only be done successfully using CGI.

Anyway, to Saturday. Please note - only a one week gap to the next movie, as Linda will be away on the 16th. But what to say about Diner ? I guess its a classic, everybody says it is...I don't think I've seen it all the way through, but on researching it I was struck by it's place as a landmark movie. Diner is noted for being the directorial debut and breakthrough for the great Barry Levinson (The Natural, Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man and Bugsy) as well as the breakthrough for several of the ensemble cast - which suggests to me a "Where are they now ?" approach to this preview.

Steve Guttenberg - This was his 1st really big movie. I liked him and I always thought Steve Guttenberg could have been Tom Hanks, if he hadn't got bogged down in the crappy Police Academy series. His latest work has been Dancing with the Stars, and pantomime in England which says it all really. Such a shame...

Paul Reiser - Actually this was his first ever movie, but apart from Mad About You on TV, he has done nothing significant since. His last attempt at a sitcom was cancelled after two episodes. Such a shame...

Daniel Stern - Not his first big movie - he was previously in the wonderful Breaking Away, and Woody Allen's Stardust Memories. Hasn't set the world alight, but is known for roles in several iconic franchises - City Slickers, Home Alone - and, did you know he was the narrator in The Golden Years ? I didn't.

Mickey Rourke - Pretty much a star before this, with Speilberg's 1941, Heaven's Gate (pah!) and Body Heat already under his belt. Much has been written and said about his career, but I think, on balance, you can say the boy done well. Apart from his face, which is a total mess now.

Tim Daly - Definitely his first ever movie, but Hollywood has not really been his friend - otherwise his next most memorable starring role would not have been in the execrable Dr Jekyll and Ms Hyde. However TV came a-calling, and after winning awards for Wings, he's currently wowing the ladies as Dr. Pete in Private Practice.

Kevin Bacon - Nothing to be said about him. He had already been in Animal House, Starting Over  and Friday the 13th before Diner, and has gone on to appear in every third movie made in Hollywood since then.

The challenge is, of course, what food to provide for a movie about a Diner ?

IMdb - Content Advisory for Parents      (the only kid-friendly review available for this movie, I'm afraid)

Ratatouille - Saturday 2nd July

In a way that would make any Quebecoise proud, we will be celebrating next Saturday with a strange French-Canadian mash-up - a movie set in Paris about French cooking - to mark Canada Day. Our friend Janie, native of Canada, claimed the right to celebrate her national day (nothing else going on that weekend, eh ?) and as we had previously chosen Ratatouille as our kid friendly, July 4th weekend movie, we now have this unique international potluck offering.

Ratatouille was one of the few Pixar movies we did not rush to the cinema to see on first release. I have previously spoken of my love for pretty much all Pixar movies, and how I admire them greatly for their film-making art. They do not make cartoons, or animated movies - they make real movies, with proper characterisation, fully developed storylines, real attention to cinematography, lighting, dialogue - they just happen to make them on computers without live actors. But from the trailers, something about Ratatouille didn't ring true to me. Maybe it was the fear that trying to animate human characters would be their undoing, maybe the story was just a bit too Disney...

But we got round to it, as I remember I think it was pretty good (I think I may have nodded off a bit in the middle) but I'm actually looking forward to seeing it again and forming a 'proper' opinion (nearly typed 'onion' there - got to get a food reference in somehow, eh !)

You are cordially invited to join us around 7pm for hamburgers, hot dogs and some special Canadian delicacies (they do have delicacies, don't they, eh ?) and we will try and start the movie at the usual time, which at 111 mins will have us finishing about 10.30pm - unless the disk fails again...

Kid appropriate review at Commonsensemedia.org

Kid appropriate review at Christiananswers.net

So after all that - A Disaster Movie !

I blame Thomas. Really. I can't really blame Netflix, since in 4 years of membership this was only the second disk that ever gave us a problem. No, it was Tom. Dinner for Schmucks was his suggestion when we were finding movies for our food-themed movie season, and then on the night - just as David Walliams and his partner, playing pretentious, teutonic art loving rich bitches - sat down for brunch, it was Thomas who chimed in loudly with "ah, this bit is really funny !".

The now infamous Scene 13 failed to play - in two laptops, three different media players, a Sony Playstation and a even a 'proper' computer, and the evening deflated more quickly than a souffle on a plane with severe turbulence (mmm, maybe there is still room for some food references...)

I can't really review half a movie. Half a movie renders the whole thing nonsensical. For example, the 50 minutes we managed to see painted Steve Carrell as a hopeless idiot flipping between naivety and trouble-making with no redeeming qualities to his personality - the sort of person who you just want to slap, and tell "Just pull yourself together, man !". Having previously seen this movie I know that there is (inevitably for Hollywood) some form of redemption for him, but that came in the second half of the movie - which of course we didn't see...

So a review is pointless. All that is left from last week is to offer my sincere apologies, and Linda and I will try and find some creative way of making up to those of you who quietly slipped away, so as not to make us feel any worse...

Is this what is meant by dinner theater ?

In case you didn't know, Dinner for Schmucks is based on a 1998 French movie called Le Diner de Cons - which Wikipedia translates as 'Dinner for Cretins' but which I understand in French slang is far more impolite...

Hollywood has recently provided so many 'remakes' of European movies, and few of them are as good, if not better than their originals (even the recent Hollywood version of Death at a Funeral managed to be worse than its execrable UK predecessor)

Having seen this, I will leave my detailed opinions of the movie till after the event, certain that another viewing will shape them further. I will say that it is unsurprising that no Oscar nominations were forthcoming, and to say that the comedy is a little broad is like saying the NJ Turnpike can get busy sometimes...

Anyway, Tom has seen this twice and absolutely loves it. While I don't often agree with his musical tastes, he's usually a good judge of comedy. As always, kid-sensitive reviews below.

Review at CommonSenseMedia.org                        Review at ChristianAnswers.net

Typo Alert - Dinner for Schmucks is Sat 18, not Thu 16

So Linda says to me "You do know that the date for Dinner for Schmucks is wrong on the fridge magnets ?"

Of course I do - I deliberately printed and assembled 48 individual fridge magnets with a wrong date on purpose, simply to confuse the hell out of anyone who hasn't been here before, and to deliberately disavow anyone of the idea that we actually are organised in what we do...

Dinner for Schmucks is not on Thursday - its on Saturday. like every other movie we've ever shown - sorry.

Bon Appetit !

It's a universal truth that food is central to social activity in many different societies around the world. In which case, FAFC reflected many world cultures on Saturday evening, as we kicked off our 2011 season with a real smorgasbord of offerings, as well as a fine movie.

Thanks to everyone who brought food, especially first timers Nancy and Andy who went above and beyond with a slow cooker full of succulent short ribs. I would say that the bar is set really high, except that we really don't want people to feel they need to reach that high every week. Please.

There was, in fact, so much food and so many familiar faces to catch up with that we were quite late starting the movie. Instead of waiting for the sun to retreat low enough below the horizon, we had to let the sampling of food run its course, and allow the cheery chatter to be completed. Which all meant for quite a late finish. We do hope to start a little earlier, as a rule.

When it arrived, the movie proved to be just as sweet a delicacy as first time around (Yes, yes, I know I am going to run out of food metaphors and adjectives before the summer is through). When I do get time to read, my first choice is usually a biography, and I make the most of trips to England to pick up bios of slightly quirky, off-beat personalities. If I were American, I'm sure Julia Child's biography would have been on my reading list, and that's one reason why - for me - this movie is thoroughly absorbing. In England, Julia was not as omnipresent on our TV's as in the U.S.A. But I knew of her, and I formed an impression of a haughty, rather matronly figure with a strangulated upper class accent - not someone who could easily be warmed to. Meryl Streep convincingly brings Julia to the screen as a fun-loving, warm-hearted, bon viveur with romance in her soul. I guess this may be closer to the truth, and if it is, then well played, Meryl (again).

The second story, of Julie Powell is equally absorbing, but Amy Adams provides a less convincing characterization. Too often her character seems undeveloped, and the emotions a trifle cardboard-ish - for example, the on-cue hysterical meltdowns, the rather shallow self analysis in her blog - to say nothing of the totally plastic group of yuppie friends with their cellphone lunch cliches - meh...(someone commented to me that it was no surprise when her husband walked out on her...)

(BTW - did anyone else find the idea of "I know, I'll start a blog !" rather dated and almost quaint ? A 90's equivalent of "I know, let's just do the show right here !")

However, this is a nit-pick. I often find I have to force myself to analyse a movie because for me, story and entertainment are top of my list, above things like acting chops and cinematography (unless the cinematography is truly great). And this movie had a thoroughly absorbing story, was hugely enjoyable - oh, and of course, it had Meryl Streep...

Another taster - Julie & Julia, Sat 4th Jun.

Sorry...Did I Mention Meryl Streep ?

Last Saturday was Amy Sub's birthday, and Linda helped her celebrate with an array of girly things - pedicure, afternoon tea, then in the evening a showing of her favorite movie - "Out of Africa", starring the one and only Meryl Streep.

Given that this movie won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director (though sadly only an unsuccessful Best Actress nomination for Meryl), it is surprising that neither Linda and I had seen it, and knew very little about it. At least that means that when we do find gems like this, we can enjoy the delight that others found many years ago on first viewing.

I can understand why Amy is so connected to this story - about a strong, single-minded woman, looking to live life to the full, tackling adversity head-on with pragmatism and a sense of the future. And it is a joy to see someone revel so much in the sharing of a personal pleasure - cueing up the music for us, quoting favorite lines and grinning throughout at the sumptuous scenery.

And, of course, there was Meryl. Another movie, another accent - this time a slightly tight-lipped clipped germanic that was meant to be Danish. But mostly, this was an utterly convincing portrayal of a woman determined to make the most of her life, in her own way. A fish out of water, she adapts and adopts the most positive aspects of her new surroundings, and finds and ultimately loses the love she most desired. Still, I would call it a feel good movie, even with the sad ending.

Robert Redford is pretty good too, but according to the Academy, Meryl was runner-up to the African scenery and the cinematography as star of this. Not in my book...

A tasty first course...

Elsewhere on one of our blogs, you'll find my thoughts on American summers, particularly the way in which Memorial Day invariably acts like a light switch for summer weather. So it's no surprise to me that, unlike my experiences in my native England, I'm confidently looking forward to a holiday weekend with temperatures in the 90's, and hopefully from then on, sumptious weather for our summer movie program. And what a tasty first course we have...

Saturday June 4th brings Julie & Julia (I actually went to check that it uses ampersand (&) and not "and"...) is a slam-dunk movie for me, thanks to the presence of the high priestess of acting, Meryl Streep. My admiration for her talent, especially her chameleon-like qualities, holds no bounds. I saw this movie sandwiched between other Streep vehicles Mamma Mia and Doubt, and three more different characters you could not have imagined, all bringing forth excellent performances.

But the movie itself has its own virtues, particularly the way the plot (or should I say plots ?) is constructed. The two main actresses never share a scene, but are convincingly connected through the pages of a cookery book. Both stories are interesting enough in their own right. But the largely biographical tale of Julia Child's development as a cooking icon is powerfully brought to life by Julie Powell's spirited immersion in her masterwork. Here's a little morsel from the tasting menu...

As always, the movie starts when it gets dark, probably around 8pm. Pretty much the same format as last year, but I'm hoping my big new screen will provide some improvement to viewing (no sign of my new projector yet...). Please feel free to bring friends and spread the word. Child appropriate ratings below.

Welcome back, everyone !!

Review at ChristianAnswers.net    Review at CommonSenseMedia.Org

And so, ask not what your Film Club can do for you...

So - the snow is gone, that big yellow thing I remember (only too well) from last year is back up there in the sky and my allergies are here with a vengeance. The time has come to signal the new season of the Folly Avenue Film Club, and with it, raise a challenge to you all.

This summer will see many changes. No longer dependent on old bed sheets and door trim, we have a brand shiny new screen, and will shortly have a new projector - courtesy of the IRS.

And of course, we have a new theme, and a new series of films. I feel a tiny bit railroaded into the choice of theme, but I could not resist the overwhelming cries of "Oh yes, what a good idea" when this was first proposed. So <drum roll> our theme for Summer 2011 is FOOD.

I'm not going to go through each movie individually here - you can see the program over on the right bar - but I will talk about two in particular in order to highlight where your contributions to our merry-making will be welcomed.

Announcing our opening night on 4th June - Julie and Julia. In some ways this movie is a template for our entire season. In the film, bored writer Julie Powell sets out to cook every recipe in Julia Child's seminal volume 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking'. This project is intercut with scenes from Julia Child's life in post-war Paris, reflecting parallels in the challenges faced by the two women. It's a good choice - nay, a banker - as an opening movie. It has Meryl Streep in it. Enough said.

But here's the rub - if Julie Powell took a book as a theme for her own pet project, why can't we do the same thing ? Let's take the movies, and have our own project, week by week, celebrating our overall theme of food.

We've already had two substantial offers. First of all, Clare has offered to make themed cupcakes for every single movie. But while this is a herculean task in itself, I'm struggling to visualise what a themed cupcake might look like for "Ratatouille", or indeed "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs"

Which brings me to the second movie I want to talk about. On July 2nd, the Saturday of the holiday weekend, we will be having - courtesy of Jainie and Ed - a joint Canada Day/4th July celebration with a live band, themed food (well, burgers and dogs), and a showing of Ratatouille. Anyone have a recipe for ratatouille burger relish ?

Anyway, the point is - if you have an idea for 'theming' one of our movie nights, please step forward. Lots of people have said "we could do this, we could do that.."  Now is the time to ask not what your Film Club can do for you - but what you can do for your Film Club. I’m particularly interested in volunteers for the movie “Waitress”…