All About Eve

Movies to See Right Now

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Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson in LATE NIGHT

I’ve recently updated my Best Movies of 2019 – So Far. Two of the films on the list is in theaters right now.

OUT NOW

  • The Last Black Man in San Francisco is an absorbing exploration of inner lives reacting to a changing city – and it’s one of the best films of the year.
  • The wildly successful comedy Booksmart is an entirely fresh take on the coming of age film, and a high school graduation party romp like you’ve never seen. Directed and written by women, BTW.
  • Mindy Kaling’s very smart, privilege-skewering comedy Late Night stars Emma Thompson (and contains a performance gem by John Lithgow).

ON VIDEO

My stream of the week is the neo-noir Elena, a superbly crafted film that vividly peeks into a dark, very dark contemporary Russia. Elena is available to be streamed from Amazon (free with Prime), iTunes and Google Play.

ON TV

On July 24, Turner Classic Movies will broadcast one of the greatest movies of all time – All About Eve (1950). Bette Davis plays the middle-aging Broadway superstar Margot Channing, who fears losing her popularity with age. Who can eclipse her in the dog eat dog world of show biz? George Sanders is wonderful as the cynical critic Addison DeWitt, whose bimbo de jour is played by Marilyn Monroe. All About Eve was nominated for fourteen Oscars and won six.


Bette Davis in ALL ABOUT EVE: “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!”

Movies to See Right Now

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Yalitza Aparicio in ROMA

Seek out two of the best 5 movies of 2018 – Roma and Shoplifters.

OUT NOW

  • Roma is an exquisite portrait of two enduring women and the masterpiece of Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Children of Men and Y Tu Mama Tambien).  Will win multiple Oscars.
  • Shoplifters won the Palm d’Or at Cannes.  This is a witty, and finally heartbreaking, look at a family that lives on the margins – and then is revealed to be not what it seems.
  • The sci fi coming of age adventure Prospect has a one week run in the Bay Area at San Jose’s 3Below and is well worth seeking out..
  • The masterful documentary Monrovia, Indiana is a fascinating movie about a boring subject.
  • The Great Buster: A Celebration is Peter Bogdanovich’s biodoc of the comic genius Buster Keaton, filling in what we need to know of Keaton’s life and body of work.
  • Just in case you haven’t gotten around to seeing it yet – Lady Gaga illuminates Bradley Cooper’s triumphant A Star Is Born. Don’t bring a hankie – bring a whole friggin’ box of Kleenex.
  • What They Had is an authentic and well-crafted dramatic four-hander with Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Blythe Danner and Robert Forster.
  • The Outlaw King, with Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce, exists for those who need a dose of medieval slaughter and a spunky queen, but there’s not enough there for the rest of us.
  • Skip First Man – a boring movie about a fascinating subject.

ON VIDEO

My Stream of the Week is the fine Lynne Shelton drama Outside In, with its stunning performance by Edie Falco. It can be streamed on Netflix, Amazon, Vudu, YouTube and Google Play.

ON TV

Tomorrow, Turner Class Movies will air two of the most cynical movies about showbiz. First, there’s Robert Altman’s superb 1992 satire of Hollywood, The Player. Wickedly funny, it features a stellar cast: Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Lyle Lovett, Dean Stockwell, Whoopi Goldberg, Richard E. Grant, Vincent D’Onofrio, Peter Gallagher, Sydney Pollack and Dina Merrill.

And then we have one of the greatest movies of all time – All About Eve (1950). Bette Davis plays the middle-aging Broadway superstar Margot Channing, who fears losing her popularity with age. Who can eclipse her in the dog eat dog world of show biz? George Sanders is wonderful as the cynical critic Addison DeWitt, whose bimbo de jour is played by Marilyn Monroe. All About Eve was nominated for fourteen Oscars and won six.

ALL ABOUT EVE: “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!”

Movies to See Right Now

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Alan Rickman in EYE IN THE SKY
Alan Rickman in EYE IN THE SKY

Here’s my slate of recommended movies in theaters this week:

    • Thriller meets thinker in Eye in the Sky, a parable from modern drone warfare starring Helen Mirren and with a wonderful final performance from the late Alan Rickman.  This movie has been out since March and has shown remarkable staying power.
    • Eccentric meets quirky in the historical comedy Elvis & Nixon, with Michael Shannon and Kevin Spacey.
    • Everybody Wants Some!! is a dead-on 1980 time capsule and an amusing frolic with lots of ball busting and girl chasing – but probably more fun for a heterosexual male audience.

Tom Hiddleston makes a believable Hank Williams, but that can’t save the plodding I Saw the Light, which fails to capture any of the pathos in Hank’s life and death. The mismatched buddy movie Dough is light, fluffy and empty – just like a Twinkie.

My Stream of the Week is the Lily Tomlin vehicle Grandma, which is worthwhile watching just for the searing performance by Sam Elliott. Grandma is available to stream from Amazon Video, iTunes, Vudu, YouTube and Google Play.

All About Eve: "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"
All About Eve: “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!”

On May 7, Turner Classic Movies brings us one of the greatest movies of all time – All About Eve (1950). Bette Davis plays the middle-aging Broadway superstar Margot Channing, who fears losing her popularity with age. Who can eclipse her in the dog eat dog world of show biz? George Sanders is wonderful as the cynical critic Addison DeWitt, whose bimbo de jour is played by Marilyn Monroe. All About Eve was nominated for fourteen Oscars and won six.

1973’s The French Connection won five Oscars, including Best Picture and statues for Director William Friedkin and for star Gene Hackman. Hackman turned in an iconic performance as the driven, politically incorrect police detective Popeye Doyle. The film features a deliciously sly supporting performance by Fernando Rey, and also boosted the career of Roy Scheider (who played Doyle’s sidekick). The French Connection also features one of the greatest movie chase scenes. It plays on Turner Classic Movies on May 11.

Updated Movies to See Right Now

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Lou Tayor Pucci and JK Simmons in The Music Never Stopped

The best bets in theaters now are the combo thriller/love story The Adjustment Bureau and the Baby Boomer-friendly The Music Never Stopped.

Cedar Rapids is a fun and unpretentious comedy. Nora’s Will is a wry family dramedy, which is also now playing on HBO Signature as Cinco Dias Sin Nora (Five Days Without Nora).

Oscar winner The King’s Speech is on my Best Movies of 2010 and is still kicking around in some theaters.

For trailers and other choices, see Movies to See Right Now.

You can see trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick is The Fighter. For my recent DVD choices (including trailers), see DVDs of the Week.

Movies on TV this week include two all-time greats,  Lawrence of Arabia and All About Eve on TCM.

Movies to See Right Now

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Another Year

You can still see True Grit, The King’s Speech, Black Swan, The Fighter and Another Year. They are on my  Best Movies of 2010. 127 Hours and Biutiful are also good movies out now. The Illusionist is the wistful and charming animated story of a small time magician who drifts through an ever bleaker array of gigs while helping a waif blossom.  Cedar Rapids is a fun and unpretentious comedy.

For trailers and other choices, see Movies to See Right Now.

You can see trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick is Animal Kingdom. For my recent DVD choices (including trailers), see DVDs of the Week.

Movies on TV this week include Tom Jones, The Silence of the Lambs and All About Eve on TCM.

5 Classic American Movies to Start With

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All About Eve: "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"

My sister-in-law just asked me a great question:  name five movies that will introduce a high school student to classic American films.  (Even more interesting, the student is here on an exchange program from Europe.)   So I came up with a list in just a few minutes: a drama, a comedy, a Western, a suspense thriller and a film noir:

All About Eve

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Strangers on a Train

Double Indemnity

Sullivan’s Travels

If you see these five movies, you will be introduced to directors John Ford, Billy Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock, Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Preston Sturges, plus movie stars John Wayne, James Stewart, Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Edward G. Robinson, Lee Marvin, George Sanders, Joel McRae and Veronica Lake – not a bad intro.

To see descriptions along with trailers or clips, go to A Classic American Movie Primer – 5 to Start With.