Liz Reviews Movies (and TV too)

I'm a lapsed scientist and writer who loves movies and has lots of opinions.

[gqjackreviews]

In which Glen Wheldon gives my menu planning a run for its money

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The Post | “Covered Up” Beef Wellingtons and a Pot of Coffee for the Bullpen *wait, that pot looks empty. Doesn’t everyone know the rule—if you finish the pot, you make a new one?

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Get Out | “Venison” Sausage Bites and Iced Tea I would be so happy if this won all of the awards it was nominated for

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The Darkest Hour | Boca Negra Cake and Blackberry Spritzer

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Phantom Thread | Bean Thread Noodles with some bubbly (cause they fancy)

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Phantom Thread up tomorrow 👌🏻

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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Heartland Potato Chip Casserole and plenty of rounds of (Root)beer

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Call Me By Your Name | Bruschetta and Pellegrino *not pictured, Blood Orange Pellegrino cuz Nathan got confused when I asked for the Pellegrino. The blood orange ones are a bit of a stretch for a double entendre related to doin’ it

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Dunkirk | Moules Marinieres et L’eau Avec Gaz Yeah, it shoulda been Perrier to be more on theme, but we figure this way we’re representing the axis/ally conflict

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Meet the Nommers

Welcome to the 5th Annual Oscar OmNomNoms!

Nommer: Alan

Movie world you’d most like to live in: Lady Bird, or something else taking place close to now

Favorite movie of 2017: Thor Ragnarok

Most Anticipated Oscar Movie This Weekend: The Post

Nommer: Diane

Movie world you’d most like to live in: my 1968 experience of Camelot

Favorite movie of 2017: The Post

Most Anticipated Oscar Movie This Weekend: The Darkest Hour/Three Billboards

Nommer: Liz

Movie world you’d most like to live in: Rivendell in Lord of the Rings

Favorite movie of 2017: Get Out/Lady Bird

Most Anticipated Oscar Movie This Weekend: Call Me By Your Name

Nommer: MaryElla

Movie world you’d most like to live in: Downsizing to have less impact on your universe

Favorite movie of 2017: Lady Bird

Most Anticipated Oscar Movie This Weekend: The Darkest Hour

Nommer: Nathan

Movie world you’d most like to live in: Pre-Nazi Grand Budapest Hotel

Favorite movie of 2017: The Last Jedi

Most Anticipated Oscar Movie This Weekend: Phantom Thread

[igneous]

community at the movies — (1/?)

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Jan 5

In Between: three young women in Tel Aviv dealing with discrimination and trying to find their voices

Blame: actually super hesitant about this film tackling teenage sexuality, inappropriate attraction, and mental illness. Really curious about where it goes, but concerned about victim blaming and demonizing mental illness...

Django: rebel gypsy jazz guitarist in 1940′s France

Jan 12

The Beyond: low-budget sci-fi alien first contact flick done documentary style. Looks super promising!

Just Charlie: young footballer struggling to get his family to understand his trans identity

Proud Mary: Tarji!!! So badass!!!

Saturday Church: musical about a trans kid in the city finding community and compassion

Vazante: story of a young woman married to a much older plantation owner in Brazil and her forbidden relationship with one of the slaves. Looks difficult, but with a woman director, I feel more confident about the protagonist’s journey.

Jan 12

The Polka King: rise and fall of polka king and shady businessman with all star comic cast

Jan 19

The Final Year: documentary following the last year of foreign policy initiatives under President Obama

Jan 26

Please Stand By: Dakota Fanning stars as a woman with inordinate Star Trek knowledge and mental challenges trying to get to LA to submit her fanfic for a competition

The Clapper: Ed Helms helmed love story about an infomercial plant who goes viral

Pad Man: based on the true story of a man who expanded accessibility of menstruation pads in India

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2017 Wrap Up

For all the months I made wishlists, here’s what I’ve seen so far (still so far to go!):

January (2/8) • A Monster Calls • Hidden Figures X • Claire in Motion • The Founder X • Starless Dreams • The Sunshine Makers • The Daughter • Sophie and the Rising Sun

April (3/12) • Colossal X • Their Finest • Salt and Fire • The Transfiguration X • Speech and Debate • The Lost City of Z X • My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea • Free Fire • The Circle • Sleight • Buster’s Mal Heart • Voice From the Stone

June (5/11) • Wonder Woman X • Band Aid • It Comes at Night X • My Cousin Rachel • Night School • Moka • All Eyez on Me • Rough Night • Kill Switch • The Beguiled X • The Big Sick X • The Little Hours • Baby Driver X

July (3/15) • Spiderman: Homecoming X • A Ghost Story • City of Ghosts • Austin Found • Lady Macbeth • To the Bone X • Footnotes • Dunkirk X • Valerian • Landline • The Fencer • Killing Ground • Atomic Blonde • Brigsby Bear • Menashe • From the Land of the Moon

August (2/30) • Detroit • Wind River • Columbus • Step • It’s Not Yet Dark • Armed Response • Annabelle: Creation • The Glass Castle • Good Time • The Trip to Spain • A Taxi Driver • The Wound • The Hitman’s Bodyguard • Logan Lucky X • Patti Cake$ • Lemon • Dave Made a Maze • Marjorie Prime • Gook • What Happened to Monday X • Crown Heights • Union Furnace • The Ice Cream Man • The Adventurers • Tulip Fever • Beach Rats • England is Mine • Bushwick X • The Villainess • Stasis

Sept (4/28) • The Teacher • Dolores • Temple • It X • Home Again • The Limehouse Golem • Rememory • The Unknown Girl • mother! X • First They Killed My Father • Strong Island • The Force • Infinity Chamber • Rat Film • 30 Years of Garbage • Kingsman: The Golden Circle • Battle of the Sexes X • Stronger • Gaga: Five Foot Two X • Happy Hunting • Elizabeth Blue • Flatliners • Lucky • Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House • Literally Right Before Aaron • Heartstone • Te Ata • The Sound • White Sun

October (2/25) • Chavela • Blade Runner 2049 X • The Mountain Between Us • Dina • The Foreigner • Happy Death Day • The Meyerowitz Stories • Professor Marston & The Wonder Women • Tom of Finland • The Departure • Geostorm • The Snowman • Only the Brave X • The Killing of a Sacred Deer • Jungle • Wonderstruck • Tragedy Girls • Killing Gunther • Jane • Never Here • Kills on Wheels • Golmaal Again • Creep 2 • The Work • Suburbicon • The Square • Novitiate

Nov (5/19) • Thor Ragnorak X • Lady Bird X • Last Flag Flying • LBJ • Murder on the Orient Express • Thelma • Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri X • Mudbound X • Roman J Israel, Esq. • Sweet Virginia • Revolt • Mr. Roosevelt • Angelica • Attack of the Killer Donuts • Holy Air • Coco X • The Man Who Invented Christmas • The Darkest Hour • Call Me By Your Name

Dec (2/15) • The Shape of Water • The Disaster Artist • Love Beats Rhythm • Bullet Head • I, Tonya • Ferdinand • The Last Jedi X • Birdboy: The Forgotten Children • The Greatest Showman • The Post • Molly’s Game X • All the Money in the World • Phantom Thread • In The Fade • Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

2017 Movies: 27/163

[gqjackreviews]

Try for yourself: https://www.buzzfeed.com/wavespopcorn/which-oscar-nominated-movie-are-you-37xd5?utm_term=.dc45dNlDem#.xvRP8pxJYk

[madeline-kahn]

2018 Oscar Nominees: Best Picture

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Oscar Omnomnoms are upon us once again

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It’s back to Colorado for a very belated December “preview”... maybe more of a Christmas wishlist of movies to see. 

Dec 1

The Shape of Water: GDT creature-feature/love story

The Disaster Artist: the story behind The Room, the baddest, cultiest movie out there, which itself is prompting wide release of the original film itself...

Love Beats Rhythm: RZA directed story about a young rapper finding her voice. With bonus Common

Dec 7

Bullet Head: I mean, it doesn’t look GOOD, but a crime/thriller with Adrian Brody, John Malkovich and Antonio Banderas and a monster rottweiler (?) I’m kinda into it

I, Tonya: !!!

Dec 15

Ferdinand: I perhaps enjoyed the hedgehogs dancing to Pitbull in the preview more than I should’ve

The Last Jedi: have already seen it twice--MOAR

Birdboy: The Forgotten Children: looks beautiful and dark, and too dark for me right now, but I don’t want to forget this one

Dec 22

The Greatest Showman: I could go for some Jackman song and dance, even if the plot is flimsy

The Post: Streep, Hanks, Journailsm exposing Government Corruption, Oscar Bait? Yes, pls

Dec 29

Molly’s Game: I love Sorkin. I love Idris. And above all else- I love Jessica Chastain. Can. Not. Wait.

All the Money in the World: kidnapping of John Paul Getty, but I’m in it for Michelle Williams

Phantom Thread: Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day Lewis. Mmhmmm

In The Fade: Diane Kruger revenge against Neo Nazis who murdered her family. I dig.

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool: biopic of aging Gloria Grahame and her romance with much younger man. Pumped for Anette Benning!

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Through an interesting turn of events, we’re spending some of November in the beautiful Arizona desert.

Nov 3

Thor Ragnorak: clearly I’m late getting to this post. Saw it. Loved it.

Lady Bird: Saorsie Ronan coming of age and navigating parental and romantic relationships

Last Flag Flying: mixed on this one. I love Linklater and the cast, but sometimes I’m just over seeing stories about men reflecting on their lives

LBJ: I’m a wonk fan

Nov 10

Murder on the Orient Express: mostly lovely cast, with one, big exception. Makes me wonder if I should just pass this one and finally see the original

Thelma: Norwegian supernatural/queer awakening film with great imagery

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri : Frances McDormand pressures local police to solve a murder in a Martin Mcdonough (!!!) film

Nov 17

Mudbound: American south in / post WWII 

Roman J Israel, Esq.: meh reviews for this social justice lawyer-turned-informant movie, but I bet Denzel is still top notch

Sweet Virginia: pulpy extorsion-y story in Alaska with great cast, led by Jon Bernthal (Shane!)

Revolt: low budget robot/alien apocalypse movie? Right up my alley.

Mr. Roosevelt: Noel Wells directorial/lead debut as a youtube famous comedian who ends up staying with an ex-boyfriend and his new pinterest-style GF. Hilar.

Angelica: Victorian ghost/paranoia/sexualtiy-phobic piece staring Jena Malone

Attack of the Killer Donuts: I mean, title says it all. 

Holy Air: Nazareth man begins selling “holy air” to tourists. Everyone wants a cut. Chaos ensues?

Nov 24

Coco: Pixar’s latest Day of the Dead themed offering

The Man Who Invented Christmas: on Charles Dickens and the creation of The Christmas Carol

The Darkest Hour: it’s beginning to feel a lot like Oscar’s season! (Winston Churchill WWII biopic)

Call Me By Your Name: see above (Armie Hammer and Italian forbidden love)