Thursday, January 14, 2021

Thursday Movie Picks: 2020 Releases

Well hey there, TMPers. I'm here for another year of (at least partially) taking part in Thursday Movie Picks. The topic this week, as chosen by our illustrious leader Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves, is 2020 releases. This is fitting for me because, believe it or not, this is my first post of 2021. Why not do it by wrapping up the prior (shitshow of a) year. As usual, my personal mission is to come up with uncommon choices whenever possible. Let's talk.


Spontaneous

Sometimes you hear a premise and think it's going to be the silliest thing ever. Spontaneous struck me as one of those movies. I mean, that premise is that kids at a particular high school have started to spontaneously combust. No one knows why, or when it will happen. Somehow, this movie makes it work enough to create a legitimate good piece of cinema.


The Willoughbys

We're going animated for this one. It's about a set of siblings, four of them in all, who have some of the worst parents the world has ever seen. Their parents are so selfish that they just up and leave the kids to fend for themselves while they go globetrotting. Soon enough, the kids decide to try and reunite with them, but this takes some serious traveling, as as you might imagine, help. It showed up on Netflix a few months back and was a very pleasant surprise, but if you don't regularly watch animated movies on the platform, you might not have heard about it. Damn algorithms. 


Charm City Kings

Time to complete this trifecta of movies about youngsters. This one is about an 8th grader growing up in the roughest parts of Baltimore. He wants nothing more than to become part of the coolest biker gang in town, only sorta realizing what that means. He soon gains a full understanding. It instantly became one of my favorites of the year.


Wait, I'm not through. If you're a TMP vet, you know that one of the rules of participation is that we pick between three and five movies in a given week. Since this is my first post of the year (did I say that already?) I'm cutting loose. Rules be damned. Of course, I say this as I look to make sure Wanderer isn't coming. 


Okay, the coast is clear. Let's talk some more.


Class Action Park

I grew up in New York during the 1970s and 80s. New Jersey was kinda like a playspot for New Yorkers. One of the places I kept hearing about, but never made it to was Action Park. It was a water park with a reputation for maiming, and occasionally killing, it's customers. This doc shows that this rep was extremely well earned. Until you see this, you just can't imagine poorly this place was run. That it stayed open for as long as it did is simultaneously remarkable, hilarious, and horrifying.


Be Water

It's no secret that I've been a huge Bruce Lee fan practically since I learned to walk. This doc is part ESPN's 30 for 30 series and is a great place to start for anyone who doesn't quite understand the phenomenon he was or the one he created. For those of us who have already been indoctrinated, it doesn't break a ton of new ground, but it still a fantastic watch.


Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies

From the moment the camera was invented, people have found a reason to either get naked in front of it, or get other people to get naked in front of it. This doc goes right to that beginning and takes a decade-by-decade approach to its subject, starting way back at the tale end of the 19th century. Like other similar docs there are lots of talking heads. The difference is that some of these are bigger names than most of its kind. This includes Malcolm McDowell, Sean Young, Mariel Hemingway, and the incomparable Pam Grier. It also manages to score an MPAA rep. It's a fascinating, and uh, eye-popping look at one of cinema's greatest drawing cards.


Oh, I'm pushing the pedal to the metal. I'm asking you to do the same...just make sure you swerve around these potholes.


A Fall From Grace

Tyler Perry's latest craptacular outing was notoriously shot in five days. Yes, days. Post-production couldn't take much longer. And it shows. Horrible writing, egregious continuity errors, visible boom mics, extras obviously eating air (no typo), wigs that are unworthy of a high school drama class, and one character actually has his script visible in the frame while he recites his lines. This is bad on another level. It makes Perry's other productions look like masterpieces. And I'm here for it.


Dolittle

What do you do after an amazing run as the face of the most successful franchise in movie history? Apparently, you shit the bed by starring in a boring, incoherent, crappy cgi-fest in an attempt to start another franchise. Nothing about this movie works. Nothing. Not even its star.


The Wrong Missy

This is probably the most predictable entry in this section, as it's all of Adam Sandlers flunkies together without Adam Sandler. Pretty sure there's never been an easier call than that. It's everything you think it will be going in: an annoying, crass, misguided comedy that isn't funny in the least  bit.


Phew!


Now I'm done.


Click here for more Thursday Movie Picks.


18 comments:

  1. I have seen Be Water which I liked a lot though I didn't learn anything that I already knew about Bruce Lee. I have heard about Spontaneous which is something I want to see as well as Skin and Class Action Park. Dolittle I know is on HBO but I have no interest in seeing it. I went with picks of films that I hope to never see from 2020.

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    1. I'm in the same boat with Be Water. Definitely keep skipping Dolittle. There's nothing to see there.

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  2. I love Class Action Park. That's been my favorite documentary of the year. It was just wild. I haven't seen your other picks, but I plan on seeing a few.

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    1. I watched most Class Action Park with my jaw hanging open. It was damn amazing.

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  3. Glad to see you back Dell! Hope your holidays were as good as possible in these crazy times we find ourselves in.

    Sorry, or in the case of those last three glad, to say I've seen none of these. I'm intrigued by all three of your middle choices though.

    I've heard of Action Park vaguely and the trouble it had but much more than that.

    I'm not a huge fan of his films but with the powerful legacy he left on film I'm game to see what the Bruce Lee doc has to say.

    The Skin doc since it sounds like it spans most of the history of film sounds more informative and prurient. I've heard the story behind that picture of Marilyn Monroe from her last uncompleted picture. She okayed the series of snaps taken during the filming of the skinny dipping scene as long as the photographer guaranteed her that they would push Elizabeth Taylor (who was in the midst of filming Cleopatra and her torrid initial affair with Richard Burton and taking up all the oxygen publicity wise) off all the magazine covers.

    With the lockdown, the dearth of streaming options I use, a lack of a lot of titles that really caught my attention and my preference for older films I really only had three films to chose from for last year...which surprised even me!

    Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears-Fabulously wealthy and endlessly chic 20’s Aussie detective and adventuress Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis) globetrots to unravel an ancient curse involving priceless emeralds aided by stalwart and smitten Detective Inspector Jack Robinson (Nathan Page). Big screen continuation of the highly entertaining Phryne Fisher Mysteries TV series.

    Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind-Through interviews with family (including her two daughters) and friends the life and tragic mysterious death of megastar Natalie Wood is examined.

    The Invisible Man-Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss) attempts to escape from the virtual imprisonment of her marriage to an ultra-wealthy, brilliant and psychotic husband Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). While trying to rebuild her life she discovers he has devised a way to mask himself to the point of invisibility as he terrorizes her. Okay thriller sustains its suspense until an ending that betrays both of its main characters.

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    1. The Action Park doc is a stunning portrayal of ineptitude. The Skin doc is informative, but definitely dives into its lustful side from time to time with directors of B-movies like The Howling III (or is it II?) talking about how they just had to have nudity in their film. And of course, there's plenty of nudity in the doc. I haven't heard that particular story about Monroe, but it falls in line with some others I have.

      I'm a much bigger fan of The Invisible Man than you, but we've talked about this so I'll leave it at that. I remember hearing about the Natalie Wood doc, but never got around to it. Haven't heard of your other pic.

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  4. I love all your themes and, obviously, have seen none of these. The last 3 duds I have no desire and, when I saw the clips of Dr. Doolittle, I went to that huge flop with Rex Harrison. I would love to see Skin which sounds like a great documentary on sex, nudity etc... Since I am menopausal and get bad hot flashes, I have no desire to see Spontaneous.

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    1. Definitely skip those last three. Have a go at it with the rest. The Skin doc is an interesting look at something that's helped drive the industry. Lol on your reason for avoiding Spontaneous. I never considered that angle.

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  5. Wow! What an interesting list! I've seen the Willoughbys and I really enjoyed it! It was such a fun and cute movie! I haven't seen the other movies on the list though.

    Check out my Thursday Movie Picks!

    Ronyell @ The Surreal Movies and TV Blog

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    1. Yay! Glad that someone else has seen The Willoughbys. It really is a good film.

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  6. How have I not heard of Spontaneous?! I definitely need to see that one.

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    1. I hadn't either until my daughter put it on one night. I was very pleasantly surprised.

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  7. I liked 2019 Klaus way more than The Willoughbys but it's not a terrible film. I actually had quite some fun watching it.

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    1. I agree, Klaus is way better, but being away from Christmas I wanted to shine a little light on The Willoughbys.

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  8. Class Action Park was an absolute riot to watch. I went from laughing, to being absolutely gobsmacked, to being livid that such tragedies happened. I don't watch many documentaries at all but I definitely want to watch that one again!

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    1. I fully understand. This one is just bonkers.

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  9. Ha, gotta love a rule breaker with your 9 choices ;)
    Spontaneous sounds intriguing! Is it tongue or cheek or serious?
    Action Park - are you glad you never visited now?!
    I will continue to steer clear of Dolittle and The Wrong Missy...

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    1. Spontaneous is a bit of both. It's more of the former, but it does touch on some serious issues.

      Definitely glad I never went to Action Park.

      Yeah, skip those.

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