Since Sports Are Now On - What Are You Watching?

I completed the trilogy last Saturday. I had previously got opportunities to see these movies way back in 2008 and also in 2013 with 2 different sets of friends. In 2008, I passed on the chance in favour of watching 3 different world War II related movies over a weekend. in 2013, I was convinced by one of my friends that the graphics of Star Wars was too poor to be enjoyable in the 2000s. Quite strange that I bought into that argument because I mostly concentrate on story/plot/acting and don't really care about graphics.

Before watching these films last week, I has certain assumptions about these movies that were incorrectly formed. One was that I thought each of these pictures were supposed to be 3 hours long. Second incorrect assumption was that I thought these films would resemble alien series in that most of the story will happen on a spacecraft. Both assumptions turned out to be incorrect as most scenes were on planets of different galaxies.  I was not expecting Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing so I was very happy to see them.

Now in terms my overall rating for the movie - I think the first I rated 8/10 and last two parts I rated 7/10 on the IMDB. Did I enjoy them? Yes, I did enjoy all 3 parts but the first part the most. The only problem I have is that these movies will not have a very high re-watch value for me. I thought the alien planets depicted were very interesting and the creatures like Jaba the great well thought out. One issue I had with the main characters is that they are quite simplistic with the exception of Darth Vader. The story is about 'good triumphs over bad' and that's something I enjoy a lot. That said I am watching it for the first time in 2020 but had I seen it in 70s I totally agree that it would have been one of the best movies of its time and an experience of a life-time. Roger Ebert says it was an era-defining movie and I don't doubt. I am mad about Lord of the Rings and have seen each of the 3 parts 8 or 9 times. But I wouldn't expect someone born in the 1920s to enjoy those movies as much as I did.

2nd October is national holiday here as its birthday of Gandhi and so I plan to see at least 3 movies this weekend, which has already started for me as we don't have to work today. 

Have you seen the Benicio Del Toro remake? Not great, but not entirely bad. What they got wrong with some of the effects and a really cheesey plot development and fight scene they got right with the atmosphere and design. Not on the level of the original but better than most of the remakes of the Universal monster movies.

I'd say it's worth a watch. It has a first class cast and I think the Rick Baker Wolfman design is pretty cool. There are some good set piece moments and some good character moments, but the 3rd act gets pretty silly with some of the dumb things I mentioned before. But it's a pretty decent throwback to a Gothic style in a way that hadn't been done really well for like 10 years or so at that point.

But I wouldn't recommend any horror lover watch the Nightmare on Elm Street remake.

Gotta go with The Thing when the first blizzard hits.

For me the first autumn must-watch is Sleepy Hollow.

Sleepy Hollow is underrated.  It's the perfect Halloween movie in many ways, I'll never understand why they released it in November.  

Monster Squad was on amazon prime recently, not sure if it still is, and I watched it.  Loved this as an 8 year old, but it didn't hold up very well.  Fun in parts, and it's only 80 minutes, give or take, but it's just a really obvious attempt by the studios to become a horror version of the Goonies.  I don't like criticizing child actors for obvious reasons, but even for kid actors pretty much everyone in this movie is terrible.  Even Wonder Years' star Jason Hervey!  The comedy was comprised largely of gay and fat jokes that haven't aged particularly well. 

(takes deep breath)

Honestly, writing that last paragraph made me feel like a cantankerous prick.  Maybe I was just in a bad mood when I re-watched it? 

Dazed and Confused and Jaws are always on my summer watch list.  

Oh man, Misery is GREAT.  Rewatched this recently as well and it's just as good as I remember, if not better.  Kathy Bates and James Caan are both A+ here, and the funny moments with Richard Farnsworth and Frances Sternhagen are so brilliantly woven into the story. 

This movie also holds a special place in my heart as just a few short years after it came out, I was in a really bad car accident where I, among other things, broke both legs, ankles and feet and needed major ankle reconstructive surgery.  I spent months in a wheelchair, more months on crutches and it took me a long while before I could really walk comfortably again (all good now, luckily).  Anyway, Paul Sheldon and I are brothers in arms.