Wednesday, December 14, 2016

My Day with Film (Wednesday, 12/14/16)

Wednesday, 12/14/16


Dear Diary,

Since I last wrote, the first full trailer for Chris Nolan's DUNKIRK arrived online! It looks pretty awesome.

Is that Harry Styles I see in there? He actually looks like a human being! And Tom Hardy as an attack pilot?! Way cool. Allegedly, some IMAX screenings of ROGUE ONE around the country get to see the prologue of DUNKIRK projected from 70mm film. Unfortunately none of the theaters near me are lucky enough to have that. 

Also since writing yesterday, I saw that Alan Thicke died tragically at the age of 69. I heard he was out playing hockey with his son and had a heart attack. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and with anyone else who was close to him. I used to love GROWING PAINS. With only about two weeks left, it'd be cool if 2016 could spare the rest of the greats. 

In the gym earlier this afternoon, I heard "Shake Ya Tailfeather" from the BAD BOYS II soundtrack over the PA system. I nearly forgot how hard that song is. Instantaneously cranked my workout to the next level. 


Then after my workout I went to see OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY. Some of the antics rival PROJECT X from a couple of years ago, but overall it isn't quite as memorable. It would've been a hoot to see the all-star cast go totally off-the-wall to deliver something as gleefully unhinged as PROJECT X or the first HANGOVER. They come close but never quite get there. Perhaps the saddest thing of all is that the movie just isn't that funny. Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, T.J. Miller, Olivia Munn, and Kate McKinnon have all delivered sidesplitting work in the past. I can't believe they couldn't push the envelope just a little bit more with this cast. There's a loose plot involving the Chicago branch of a data security company getting the sack unless they find a way to secure a big contract before everyone leaves for the holidays. So, they invite an important client (THE PEOPLE VS. O.J. SIMPSON's Courtney B. Vance) to their office Christmas party with the hope that he'll experience their culture firsthand and choose to work with them over the likes of Dell and Oracle. Holiday hijinks ensue. If you haven't seen this one yet, wait until next Christmas after it hits Redbox. 

I saw on Twitter today were that the nominees for this year's SAG (that's "Screen Actors Guild) Awards were announced. You can check the list out courtesy of Variety. The big surprises that everyone's buzzing about are Viggo Mortensen's well-deserved inclusion in the race for Best Actor race for his turn in CAPTAIN FANTASTIC and Emily Blunt's Best Actress nomination for THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Many are calling Blunt's nomination "the shock of the year" as she beat out the likes of ELLE's Isabelle Huppert and 20TH CENTURY WOMEN's Annette Bening who, up to this point, were two favorites to contend for the Oscar. I've yet to see ELLE or 20TH CENTURY WOMEN, but they can't be any worse than THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Blunt's performance is okay but certainly not worthy of any major awards.


Another big thing I saw was that the first trailer for BLADE RUNNER 2049 is imminent. It will run exactly 98 seconds (the significance of that number, I'm not sure) and could be online as early as Sunday or Monday. If you ask me, it'd be smart for Warner Brothers to piggyback on ROGUE ONE. Aside from DUNKIRK I'm unaware of any other major blockbuster teases for opening weekend. BLADE RUNNER appeals to the same general demographic as STAR WARS, so why not? Maybe the hype of everything mushed together - DUNKIRK, STAR WARS, AND BLADE RUNNER - would just be too much. We'll see.

The last two news stories I noticed were that ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK's Ruby Rose is in talks to join PITCH PERFECT 3, and DOCTOR STRANGE was the highest grossing film in America during the month of November, raking in an estimated $222 million. According to Box Office Mojo, Marvel's latest has earned just under $650 million worldwide so far.


I'm concluding my day with a very special digital IMAX 3D screening of ROGUE ONE. I couldn't be more stoked! I watched A NEW HOPE and part of THE FORCE AWAKENS last night because the hype was just too real. I also wanted the context and nuances of the original fresh in my mind before going into this one. Hopefully I'll get even more out of it that way. I wanted to play more STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT beforehand because there's new DLC that just came out, and I've played maybe five minutes of it. It's got maps and heroes inspired by the new film. Maybe I'll play a game or two after I get home. 

I will type up my full review and share it tomorrow so that anyone going to the first shows can be informed. I promise to be as spoiler-free as possible! 


Until tomorrow,

BC

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