Month: August 2020

First Cow Shows off Reichardt’s Skills

A picture of Orion Lee and Toby Jones in the film First Cow

The review:

There’s a sense of peace that comes over me when I watch any Kelly Reichardt film.* Watching Cookie and King-Lu form a friendship and a business in the time of early 19th-century Oregon was a quiet meditation on friendship and dreams of the future. As always, the dialog is sparse, the actors telegraph much,** and the landscape is almost another character.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $3.99 via Redbox On Demand
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It’s the equivalent to those people who find it calming to hear people whisper.
**Watching the actors in a Reichardt film is always a treat, and this pair (John Magaro and Orion Lee) reminded me a lot of Daniel London and Will Oldham in Old Joy. So much unsaid but still said!

Questions:

  • Did you feel the opening of the film unduly influenced your viewing of the film?
  • Why do you think Cookie and King-Lu connected?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

First Cow (2019) is the first Kelly Reichardt film to receive a PG-13 rating.

(I can’t think why. Language?
Common Sense Media says language, drinking, and smoking.)

Other reviews of First Cow:

Orange background with text: Some people can’t imagine being stolen from. —First Cow. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

Sword of Trust Pokes Fun, Shows Relationships

A picture of Jon Bass, Marc Maron, Michaela Watkins, and Jillian Bell in the film Sword of Trust.

Sword of Trust

Directed by Lynn Shelton
Written by Lynn Shelton & Michael Patrick O’Brien

The review:

Low-key humor is my favorite thing about Lynn Shelton movies* and Sword of Trust provides a full scabbard. The other thing she does well is to showcase relationships; in this film we get to see a long-term relationship between Cynthia and Mary,** plus how they interact with two pawn shop employees*** when they go to sell the inherited sword that purports to show the South won the Civil War. The film takes a few gentle pokes at internet conspiracies and had more than a couple great scenes with Marc Maron**** that elevate an already solid movie.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $5.99, because Matt and I split a month of ad-free Hulu plus some shenanigans with a free trial of Hulu+Showtime because Hulu lied to me and said this movie was available on Hulu.
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Though she died in May, I’m not up to writing about her in the past tense.
**Jillian Bell and Michaela Watkins who also starred in the excellent Brittany Runs a Marathon
***Jon Bass’ commitment to his slack jaw was impressive.
****Maron talking about how he came to own the pawnshop plus his interaction with two men harassing the group.

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite part of a Lynn Shelton film?
  • What was the best nickname in this film?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Marc Maron scored the film. The blues guitar solos heard throughout were played by him.

Other reviews of Sword of Trust:

Orange background with text: Is this Antiques Roadshow for racists? —Sword of Trust. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

The End of Grandpa’s Overalls

When my grandfather died in 1991, he left behind a few pairs of overalls. I’ve been wearing this pair when working on projects since the 90s. However, I’ve finally split through the seams in the crotch (which you can see if you look closely at our celebratory post finishing the pedestal.) It’s time to cut these overalls up for other uses. Sentinel, as usual, supervises.

On the big, you can see not only the logo, but the dark green from painting my mom’s house, the dark blue from Matt’s bedroom, the orange from painting the pedestal, the bright green from the wall in the pantry and some white that was probably the primer I put on the pedestal.

In my photos from the time of film cameras, there’s a picture of me circa 1998 wearing these overalls and posing with the loft bed I built. They’ve been a good companion as I have completed projects.

All movies watched on Netflix February–Present

Recommended

  • Miss Americana
  • Homecoming A Film by Beyonce
  • 20 Feet From Stardom
  • The Half of It
  • The Lovebirds
  • Becoming
  • 13th
  • A picture from the movie Athlete A
  • A picture of Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle

Good

  • To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
  • Extraction
  • Inception
  • 18 Presents
  • See You Yesterday
  • Da 5 Bloods
  • Photo of the cast of Can't Hardly Wait
  • A picture of the five stars of The Old Guard
  • Picture of Nev Shulman next to a portrait of Nev Shulman.
  • Picture of Jamie Foxx and Dominique Fishback in the film Project Power

Skip

  • The Lobster
  • All the Bright Places
  • Kicking and Screaming
  • Picture of Jacob Elordi holding a sign saying, "I missed you more" in the Kissing Booth 2

Bumblebee: Transformers for the Whole Family

A picture of Hailee Steinfeld hugging the robot Bumblebee in the film Bumblebee

Bumblebee

Directed by Travis Knight
Written by Christina Hodson

The review:

God bless Travis Knight and Christina Hodson for creating a gem that manages to combine robot cars,* a coming of age story, lots of humor, and 80s pop cultural markers to make a delightful cross-generational film. Hailee Steinfeld is excellent as the mechanically minded Charlie, still grieving her dad’s death. But the digital artists who created Bumblebee also deserve many kudos for creating such a nuanced character.**

The verdict: Good

Cost: $1.80 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*This is my first Transformers movie, and it was a good first-of-series choice.
**Bumblebee inside the house is one of the most amusing scenes of this summer’s movie watching.

Questions:

  • Why could some transformers turn into vehicles that fly, but some could not?
  • What’s your favorite scene with Bumblebee?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Bumblebee’s model is a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle with bumpers, available only for export. The yellow color was also only available for the export version Volkswagens as the color in Germany was used by the then-state-owned German Postal Service (Deutsche Bundespost).

Other reviews of Bumblebee:

Orange background. Text: They literally call themselves Decepticons. That doesn't set off any red flags?

An Embroidery Report

I finished my first sampler from LittleDear. I really love it. The “spring” colors Aimee sent me in the sewing kit are just my type, and I enjoyed doing the stiches. I think the sampler looks pretty, too. I need to work on my satin stich and the fishbone stich was mostly a disaster. But look how pretty that woven spider’s wheel turned out!

This is also from LittleDear. It’s the first of two mandala-inspired patterns. I thought the colors looked great here too!

Now, whatsoever shall I do with these?

I Used to Go Here: Winning Failure

A picture of Gillian Jacobs and Rammell Chan in the film I Used to Go Here

I Used to Go Here

Directed by Kris Rey
Written by Kris Rey

The review:

Much as I was charmed by a unique aspect of Kris Rey’s Unexpected, so was I by the flailings* of Gillian Jacobs’ character Kate in I Used to Go Here. It’s the relationships that make this film fun, and the humor is sly and subtle.** There’s a wistfulness to this film that I loved,*** as well as the exuberance of youth viewed by someone past that stage.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $6.99 via Redbox On Demand
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I love a good woman-flailing movie, especially if the flailing doesn’t have to do with romantic relationships.
**Kate’s book reading is a great example of this.
***There are so many good things to remember about being in college, and so many reasons to be glad you are through those years.

Questions:

  • What do you think Kate will do next?
  • Who was your favorite college student?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Kate’s address is given as 4569 N. Baltimore Rd, Chicago, IL 60640 (on the letter to her ex boyfriend), however the building she enters is actually 4623 N. Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625, and is above Spyners Pub. The interiors may have been shot elsewhere.

Oh, internet, you are so detail oriented!

Other reviews of I Used to Go Here:

Orange background. Text: Personal essay is dead. —I Used to Go Here. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

The Hitch-Hiker: One More Argument Against Thumbing a Ride

Drawing of the stars of the Hitch-Hiker: Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, and William Talman

The Hitch-hiker

Directed by Ida Lupino
Written by Collier Young and Ida Lupino

The review:

Here’s a brief film* about the dangers of picking up hitchhikers** back before the word got compounded. I like a tense drama with few characters and especially loved William Talman’s performance as Emmett Meyers. But mostly, I loved that film had a lot of scenes set in Mexico and the Mexican people featured in the film were not bumbling stereotypes.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: Free via Kanopy, the library’s streaming service
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

(Ideally I would recommend a list of tense mid-century noirs. But I haven’t seen enough of them, so we’re going with good car movies.)

  • Speed
  • Drive (I actually hate this movie, so I don’t think you should watch it. Read my review to find out why.)
  • The Italian Job (1969)

Further sentences:

*Seventy-one minutes! Honestly, films like this are a delight, especially if I don’t have to pay for them. Get in, get the story told, get out.
**Born in 1974, I’ve grown up with the clear message that any hitchhiker I picked up would instantly rape and/or murder me, but I know that in the 1950s, hitching was more common. Also, should I stick my thumb out, I’d only be asking for assault or death. Probably both. Is this true? Probably not. But that’s the message that has been pushed since at least the 1970s.
***Kind of a miracle, given the release date.

Questions:

  • Do you think that Collins and Bowen could have done more to overpower Meyers?
  • What was the tensest moment for you?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

In an interview, Talman recalled an incident that happened shortly after the release of The Hitch-Hiker, in which he gave a chilling portrayal of escaped murderer and serial killer Emmett Meyers. He was driving his convertible in Los Angeles with the top down, and he stopped at a red light. Another driver in a convertible who was stopped next to him stared at him for a few seconds, then said, “You’re the hitch-hiker, right?” Talman nodded, indicating that he was. The other driver got out of his car, went over to Talman’s car and slapped him across the face, then got back in his car and drove off. In recalling the story, Talman said, “You know, I never won an Academy Award but I guess that was about as close as I ever will come to one.”

Other reviews of The Hitch-hiker:

An orange background with text: You guys are soft. You know what makes you that way? You're up to your neck in IOU's. You're suckers! You're scared to get out on your own. You've always had it good, so you're soft. —The Hitch-Hiker. Read the three sentence movie review: 3SMReviews.com

Night Comes On Captures Complex Sister Relationship

Picture of Dominique Fishback and Tatum Marilyn Hall in Night Comes On

Night Comes On

Directed by Jordana Spiro
Written by Jordana Spiro and Angelica Nwandu

The review:

Dominique Fishback (Angel) and Tatum Marilyn Hall (Abby)* play sisters separated due to both foster care and Angel’s time in juvenile detention. As they reunite, each has ulterior motives and it’s marvelous to watch them navigate around those motivations. While this is a movie about Angel seeking vengeance, it plays out in a very real-life, testing-the-waters way.**

The verdict: Good

Cost: Kanopy
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I came to this movie after seeing Dominque Fishback in Project Power so I wasn’t surprised how good she was in this role, but Tatum Marilyn Hall was also excellent especially for someone so young.
**Much like as in real life, there are mundane obstacles and complications which shift this film from vengeance to relationships in an interesting way.

Questions:

  • Did you agree with Angel’s choices?
  • What was the best sister moment in this film?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

(Also the only trivia item)

This film was partially supported by the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a nonprofit organization that awards grants to female actors, writers, and/or directors of short films, feature films, and documentaries. The foundation was created by Andy Ostroy, the widower of actress, writer, and director Adrienne Shelly, after Shelly was murdered in 2006 at the age of 40.

Other reviews of Night Comes On:

(Metacritic had 15 reviews, 14 of them were by men)

Orange background with a white frame. Text: She used to say the cars in the night could sound like the ocean. Like the waves, running in and out like the tide. You squeeze your eyes tight enough, you could almost see the sun, smell the salt, feel the sand. —Night Comes On. Read the three sentence movie review: 3SMReviews.com