Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).
Movies
Wide Release
A Star Is Born
Loren: 4th time’s a charm? I don’t know, I watched the trailers for the ‘76 and ‘54 versions, and they’re all different but have that same theme. I do think it’s kinda neat that Bradley Cooper was like, “shit, I better get some singing lessons if I’m going to be singing with Lady Gaga”. I doubt I’ll see this in the theater, but maybe sometime down the road.
RDT: I’m into this, way more than I thought I’d be. I’ll keep an eye out for a screening I can tag along to or a screener I can borrow.
Rick: This is something I know I’ll see eventually, but it’ll likely be via a screener.
Jen: Yes, please – I cannot wait for this one.
Venom
Loren: I still think this movie looks REALLY bad. I’ll probably end up seeing it so we can talk about it on the podcast but I kinda don’t want to. I still have a fundamental problem with a Venom movie without Spider-Man. Also, I don’t know what accent Tom Hardy is doing but it isn’t right.
RDT: I’ve heard it’s unintentionally hilarious. So, I might catch it Saturday morning. (How are Rick and Jen seeing this for free?)
Rick: I have seen this movie. It is, quite frankly, a near-complete mess. It starts out as a promising sci-fi horror film but quickly devolves into a muddled piece of work that has no clear identity. Without question a mountain of rewrites and reshoots were employed to try and craft the story into something that would appeal to 1) a teenage audience and 2) people who liked Deadpool. Seriously. The Venom symbiote talks with the same quippy cadence as Ryan Reynolds. I think Tom Hardy knew this was becoming a turkey and gives a ‘fuck it’-style performance that is as baffling as it is, at times, genuinely funny. There are too many plot holes/contrivances to mention. The most base of character motivations pilot what little there is of a plot. The action sequences are gobs of quick cuts, loud music, and messy, 1997-era CGI. The mid-credits tag is painful and was surely the result of a favor called in by the director. The best thing about this whole experience was getting to see an extended scene from the upcoming animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Which, by the by, Sony plops at the end of the credits without context, or bothering to tell you it’s from an actual movie, or when you can see it. Why would you put that in there and not tell people what they’re watching? It’s clearly there to get people excited for that movie. I mean…I just…
Sony just needs to stop making genre movies. They clearly have no idea what the hell they’re doing. Though, people in this screening applauded at the end of this trash boat’s voyage, so what the hell do I know?
Jen: (what Rick said)
The Hate U Give
Loren: It’s got to say something that we have had a string of movies about this subject matter. Write what you see and all that. This has a good cast and looks well made. I hope it can stand out from the crowd.
RDT: Yet again, an unfortunate story worth telling. And a film that looks like it’s worth watching.
Rick: It bothers me that we live in a time where stories like these are the norm rather than the exception. At least people’s voices are getting louder and more widespread. Hopefully they can help usher in some much needed change.
Jen: This looks like a powerful story with a strong cast. I usually seek out films for the escapism, this is definitely not that kind of movie, but they seem the have mixed a strong, important message, with an amazing looking cast in a solid-looking package. I hope this gets the notice it deserves, I know I’ll be checking it out. Continue reading
Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).
