Movie Nights w/the Nephew thread

[Monterey Jack]

Had a movie night with the niece today (along with her boyfriend). Showed her the 1978 remake of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, with a young President Snow. I always love springing that ending on people.

[Monterey Jack]

Had my other nephew, his sister, and her boyfriend over this afternoon to enjoy Kenneth Branagh's superb Dead Again, which they all enjoyed very much. Watching it again was the perfect way to blow the stink off of yesterday's laughable Netflix turkey The Woman In The Window. Whereas Joe Wright's absurd, risible Hitchcock pastiche utilized Hitch's toolkit with the delicacy and grace of a kid soaring on a high of Jolt Cola and Pixie Stix, Branagh's 1991 romantic thriller is a film with actual romance, actual thrills, and it has the courage to gently rib its more outré elements (Hypnosis! Reincarnation!) without ever tipping over into outright ZAZ-style parody of same. Branagh and Emma Thompson help sell the material by playing it with just the right note of florid stylization, and they showcase authentic romantic chemistry both in the film’s swoony, stylized 1940s sections as well as the “contemporary” 90s period (replete with beepers and comically large “portable” phones), and behind the camera Branagh skirts up to the edge of satire with eccentric supporting roles (Wayne Knight is a hoot as Branagh’s lisping newspaper photographer buddy, and Robin Williams – in a sharp, unbilled turn – skirts the line between comedy and malice as a disgraced former shrink who now councils Branagh’s seedy private investigator…from the meat locker of the mini-mart where he’s currently employed) and has great fun playing with the visual language of classic Hollywood thrillers. But even while having a laugh with the film’s more OTT moments (spanked along by a wonderfully sinister and insistent Patrick Doyle score, the kind he sadly rarely has the opportunity to write anymore), he nevertheless digs deeper and manages to find the genuine passion of those 40s melodramas, as well as being a superior example of that early 90s spate of adult studio thrillers that have become virtually extinct in recent years. How I’d love to see a movie with the wit, style and engrossing suspense of Dead Again in today’s climate of overproduced F/X blah.

[Monterey Jack]

Had my first movie night with the nephew since...January of 2020?! We saddled up with The Magnificent Seven (in their entertaining, action-packed 2016 iteration) and went Beyond The Infinite with the head-trip surrealism of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Let's say he was...perplexed by the climax, but up until then he was mightily impressed with the film's still-marvelous visual effects and Douglas Rain's rational, monotone menace as HAL.

[AndyDursin]

Wow awesome!

[Monterey Jack]

Wow awesome!

It's been WAY too long, but with a combination of Covid and the nephew's recent emotional issues, it's been hard to schedule a new movie night. He looked very good today, though, and I got to show him my bitchin' new TV and the new posters and Funko Pops I have collected over the last year-and-a-half. Hoping to slot him in again soon, and with October looming, it'd be an ideal way to show him some classic horror.

Hell, instead of the awkwardness of referring to him as "The Nephew", he's just Charlie from now on.

[Paul MacLean]

Had my niece and nephew over a couple of weeks ago. Their tastes don't perfectly align so I tried to find something they might both like. I suggested Jaws, which neither of them had seen (except for maybe bits on TV over the years). They loved it!

We met up for another screening last night, and again I had the dilemma "What would appeal to both of them?" I decided to take a chance on a classic Bond film. My niece was skeptical at first -- she doesn't really care for action movies, but I tried to explain the early Bond movies aren't like hyper-violent flicks of today, and they have an elegance to them. So I weighed the possibilities...

Dr. No -- excellent but lacking in the scope of the later movies (and no iconic John Barry score).
From Russia With Love -- out of the question, too boring and lacking in a satisfactory climax.
Goldfinger -- iconic, but maybe too slow for my nephew.

So I settled on Thunderball, since it had more action, and was made when Connery was still engaged in the role; in fact it is my favorite of the Connery movies. Yeah, Goldfinger is the best, but I enjoy Thunderball a little more. Plus my brother's family used to vacation frequently in Nassau, so I thought they would think it was cool to see all the locations they'd been to.

I hoped they'd like it, but I wasn't sure. Then my nephew had to take a bathroom break about half and hour in, and he commented "This is awesome so far!" -- and my niece agreed!

They had also seen all the Austin Powers movies, so they were both like "I can't believe this!" when they saw Largo, and the big SPECTRE meeting room and Blofield stroking his cat.

[BobaMike]

Wow, you didn't show Goldfinger because it's too slow...and you went with Thunderball? The most boring Connery! The underwater scenes put me to sleep. And then the sped up action at the end makes me laugh!

Glad they all liked it though!



I would have done Dr No, as it has a pretty good mystery/plot, and is a good intro to Bond.

[Paul MacLean]

Wow, you didn't show Goldfinger because it's too slow...and you went with Thunderball? The most boring Connery!

The underwater scenes put me to sleep. And then the sped up action at the end makes me laugh!

I'll concede that the underwater battle near the end is longer than it needs to, but I think Thunderball overall trumps Goldfinger in terms of action -- it has the incredibly visceral fight with Colonel Bouvar in the teaser, the Mardi Gras chase, plus clever moments life Fiona's death. I also like that it is a more romantic film than Goldfinger, and also -- unusual in the 007 movies -- the Bond girl accuses Bond of seducing her just to get information.

Goldfinger is great, but it's less of an actioner. And I was worried they might lost interest during the golf match.

My nephew thought Thunderball held-up incredibly well for an old movie -- but he did add "except for the sped-up stuff" so you may be onto something Mike!

I would have done Dr No, as it has a pretty good mystery/plot, and is a good intro to Bond.

I thought about Dr. No, but was concerned it might seem "too old". I love it, but it feels more like a film from the 1950s, and the iconic "Bond movie aesthetic" didn't really take root until Goldfinger.

[AndyDursin]

Hey whatever works! I have the same reaction as BobaMike to THUNDERBALL, especially in terms of being bored by the underwater scenes...I also find Barry's music tedious and repetitive in those scenes...but I get that it's the first kind of "extravagant" Bond film in widescreen and such. It's not my favorite -- I personally prefer it to YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE though -- but if they liked it, it's all good!

I didn't catch it but how old are they Paul? I'll be going through this with Theo in a few years I expect!

[mkaroly]

Thunderball is my favorite Connery Bond film (and my favorite John Barry Bond score for a Connery film). From Russia with Love comes next, then Goldfinger, then Dr. No. After that he sort of checked out (or at least it seemed to me that way)...the final two would be YOLT and then Diamonds are Forever.

[Paul MacLean]

I didn't catch it but how old are they Paul? I'll be going through this with Theo in a few years I expect!

My nephew is 29 and my niece is 27. Got a few years before Theo is that age!

I think my niece was a little taken aback by Bond's womanizing -- and it's fair to say he's probably more naughty in Thunderball than any of the other movies (in particular the way he tries to kiss the nurse at Shrublands)...



But back then you could make light of a guy trying to kiss a woman -- especially in a far-fetched yearn like a Bond movie.

Today we instead get Daniel Craig sobbing over Even Green's grave.

Thunderball is my favorite Connery Bond film (and my favorite John Barry Bond score for a Connery film).

My favorite Barry 007 scores are a 4-way tie -- Thunderball, OHMSS, Diamonds Are Forvever and Moonraker. Can't decide which is my favorite! Goldfinger has an iconic title song, and while the score works great in the film I don't think most of Goldfinger's actual cues to have a lot of standalone appeal.

[mkaroly]

My favorite Barry Bond score of all-time is OHMSS; my favorite of his for a Roger Moore film is Moonraker.

[BobaMike]

My favorite Barry scores:
A View to a Kill
Diamonds are Forever (love those Vegas cues)
Moonraker

[BobaMike]

I was always under impression your nephew was like 14 or 15! Didn't realize he was that old.

[AndyDursin]

Paul's niece and nephew are quite a bit older than MJ's so that's what you are probably thinking about BobaMike.

My fave Barry Bond scores:

Goldfinger
Moonraker
OHMSS
You Only Live Twice
Living Daylights

I put Thunderball down on that list because of the underwater "suspense music" which bogged the movie down along with those tedious scenes but it's certainly a quality score obviously. It's just never been a fave of mine. The theme is kind of "heavy" also.

But I like them all. It's really just MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN that I seldom pull out for repeat listening...that score feels tired, and even the theme is bottom of the barrel for the Barry "era" (pre 1989). But the whole series needed a kick in the pants at that time which is why taking an extended hiatus to get their house in order for SPY was a wise move that paid off.