1) Best movie of 2016
I liked Hell or High Water and Love & Friendship. Haven't seen Manchester by the Sea yet, for which I have high hopes.
2) Worst movie of 2016
There were, according to imdb.com, 12,414 movies released in 2016. I haven't seen enough of them to have any idea what might be the worst.
3) Best actress of 2016
I thought Kate Beckinsale should have gotten more notice for Love & Friendship.
4) Best actor of 2016
Jeff Bridges got the nominations for Hell or High Water but Chris Pine did the heavy lifting. Heard good things about Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea.
5) What movie from 2016 would you prefer not hearing another word about? Why?
Since blogspot ate all my movie links in October and we dropped our subscription to New Yorker before that, I haven't heard or read much about anything movie-related. Have people been talking about movies?
6) Second-favorite Olivier Assayas movie
You flatter me by assuming I know who Olivier Assayas is.
7) Miriam Hopkins or Kay Francis?
Miriam Hopkins, although Kay Francis got the better of her when they squared off in Trouble in Paradise. Favorite Miriam Hopkins performance? Design for Living followed by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931). I wrote about the latter here. Dig her in Lubitsch's The Smiling Lieutenant, too.
8) What’s the story of your first R-rated movie?
A bunch of misfits join a college fraternity. Hi-jinks ensue. Although that's probably not what you meant. I want to say my first R-rated movie was Animal House, but I can't swear to it. Anyway, I saw it with a pal and his father. No sneaking around, no shy tittering behind raised hands, just three people watching a very funny movie.
9) What movie from any era that you haven’t yet seen would you be willing to resolve to see before this day next year?
I'm not committing myself to anything.
10) Second-favorite Pedro Almodovar movie
I don't know. Volver?
11) What movie do you think comes closest to summing up or otherwise addressing the qualities of 2016?
Apparently they never made a movie of It Can't Happen Here, so maybe A Face in the Crowd?
12) Chris Pine or Chris Pratt?
Like them both. If I were casting the movie running in my head, I'd cast Chris Pratt if I wanted to emphasize the comedic elements of the story, Chris Pine the dramatic.
13) Your favorite movie theater, presently or from the past
AFI-Silver in Silver Spring, Maryland, particularly theater one.
14) Favorite movie involving a family celebration
Hannah and Her Sisters revolved around a series of family celebrations (rather than celebrations of family). That might be the best. Still, the most under-rated is The Ref, starring Denis Leary as a thief who takes Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey and their family hostage at Christmas time. O.Henry style hilarity ensues. If you broke into my house and forced me to watch one of the two, I'd watch The Ref.
15) Second-favorite Paul Schrader movie
Taxi Driver, I suppose, although I don't like it nearly as much as most others do.
16) Ruth Negga or Hayley Atwell?
Hayley Atwell. I thought the first season of TV's Agent Carter was terrific.
17) Last three movies you saw, in any format
La La Land at the theater. Pleasantly meh.
The Maltese Falcon on DVD. Classic.
The Thin Man streaming. Classic.
18) Your first X-rated, or porn movie?
It's been so long since I've seen a porn movie, Ronald Reagan was president and porn stars had pubic hair!
19) Richard Boone or Charles McGraw?
Is this a trick question? Richard Boone.
20) Second-favorite Chan-wook Park movie
Ate a bagel in Bryant Park last time I was in New York, does that count?
21) Movie that best encompasses or expresses loneliness
The Apartment is probably my favorite. The "Over The Rainbow" sequence of The Wizard of Oz may be my favorite scene on the subject.
22) What’s your favorite movie to watch with your best friend?
Well, my best friend is Katie-Bar-The-Door. I'd say my favorite movie to watch with her is whichever one we're watching together.
23) Who’s the current actor you most look forward to seeing in 2017?
Looking forward to seeing Kristen Bell in the season (and probably series) finale of The Good Place tomorrow night.
24) Your New Year’s wish for the movies
That Katie-Bar-The-Door and I actually make it to the movies with our pals from time to time.
I respond sequentially, with minimal regard to the actual survey
ReplyDelete(1)
I saw a TON o' good movies in 2016. few were made in 2016.
I thought that I'd only seen old movies at AFI Silver (I have been known to stop there on my way home from work), but a glance at a website of 2016 theatrical releases came up with 26 "new" movies for me in 2016. Going from December 2016 back to January:
Hell or High Water was very good. Elle was hard to watch at times, but rull good. The Beatles: Eight Days a Week was beautiful to see, and I guess I can't hear the tale enough. Cafe Society was interesting. Star Trek Beyond was fun. Love and Friendship surprised me, it was so good. The Jungle Book kept my interest throughout -- a compliment. Tina Fey was better than I expected in Whisky Tango Foxtrot.
But my tie for best: Deadpool and Almodovar's Julieta. Two movies that Could Not Be Farther Apart.
(2) The worst movie that I saw was A Bigger Splash. Although I'm not a Tilda Swinson fan, and I am a Ralph Fiennes fan, I tolerated her and tired of him. In other respects, it was like having a screen pour bleach into my eyes while burning my feet. The Secret Life of Pets was hugely disappointing -- lots of comedic talent, shitty movie.
(3) I think I'd go with Isabelle Huppert. She had a huge year, but I only saw Elle. A character no one, no one, could love, or even understand. She was superb.
Kate Beckinsale was delightful, and a bit of a surprise for me.
(4) It was not Robert DeNiro in Bad Grandpa.
so forgive me already; when traffic home is reportedly bad, I sometimes wait it out and take what I can get. . . .
(5) Ghostbusters. The movie was inconsequential, the shitstorm in social media was endless
(6) No one would think to flatter me.
(7)Hopkins. Francis never appeared in The Flying Nun.
[and yes, of course I consulted IMDB. I'm otherwise forgetfullllll, you know]
(8) I have no idea. At age 13, I talked my old man into going to see Ebert/Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls while living overseas; I didn't say what it was about. It was an X. I think he questioned my taste, but enjoyed my chutzpah
(9) I'd like to see Sunset Boulevard in the theater. I haven't yet seen it.
(10) Julieta and Volver are tied. Talk to Her was a movie, too.
(11)
(12) Your assessment is dead on. But I'm going with Pine. Notwithstanding that shit movie that he made with Goldie Hawn's kid. Because he has yet to play smug twice.
(13) The same as yours.
(14) It's A Wonderful Life. It has more than one.
(15) Even with all the naked broads, his movies don't register in the like category
(16) Haven't seen Loving Have seen Agent Carter. Atwell
(17)
Julieta
Julieta [I saw it on two successive days]
Life of Brian
(18) I was precocious, so I don't know when I started. Before Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, I know.
I'm old. I'm old enough to have taken dates to a number of DC-area theaters to see X-Rated movies (at their suggestion -- I'm not a heathen)
(19) Boone.
(20) No idea
(21) Julieta obviously made an impression on me. But it's not about loneliness; it's about something more. So I'll settle on The Apartment, which I have you to thank for.
(22) To any former best friends: you have not dwindled in my esteem. But one has ascended. That would be th' missus. So the movie would be Kelly's Heroes.
Cmon: That's the answer to any question with the words "favorite movie" in it, and I'm accommodating, but not on this. . . .
(23) I wanna see Penelope Cruz. If the movie is good.
(24) FINALLY. The reason I put these replies up here.
I agree. We agree
I hope you haven't reconsidered. . . .
(24) FINALLY. The reason I put these replies up here.
ReplyDeleteI agree. We agree
I hope you haven't reconsidered. . . .
Yes, you and Michele are the pals to whom I refer. We definitely want to go to the movies with youz guys.
(14) It's A Wonderful Life. It has more than one.
Yeah, that's probably really my favorite, too.
(9) I'd like to see Sunset Boulevard in the theater. I haven't yet seen it.
If that shows up at the AFI, we'll go. It's a must-see.
(8) I have no idea. At age 13, I talked my old man into going to see Ebert/Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls while living overseas; I didn't say what it was about. It was an X. I think he questioned my taste, but enjoyed my chutzpah
My father and I saw many movies together, but we never saw that. The best movie we saw together at the theater -- The Sting, back when nobody knew the end was coming. I remember when Paul Newman and Robert Redford get killed, my dad sighed and then burst out laughing when ... well, you know. It was a great moment. Probably cemented my status as a movie fan.
Hell or High Water was very good. Elle was hard to watch at times, but rull good. The Beatles: Eight Days a Week was beautiful to see, and I guess I can't hear the tale enough. Cafe Society was interesting. Star Trek Beyond was fun. Love and Friendship surprised me, it was so good. The Jungle Book kept my interest throughout -- a compliment. Tina Fey was better than I expected in Whisky Tango Foxtrot.
Didn't see Tina Fey, but saw all those others and liked them all very much. Saw Cafe Society by myself in Cincinnati on a Saturday afternoon before going that evening to Katherine's cousin's daughter's wedding. Put me a good frame of mind for the rest of the day A good time was later had by all.
Saw Cafe Society by myself
ReplyDeleteOf the seven movies I mention, I saw four of them solo.
Traffic home can be a beast.
btw, AFI Silver is about to get out of its "first-run" rut. . . .