I wouldn't call it a kids' film at all, even though I was one of the dragged parents. There's a running gag about the Kens threatening to "beach each other off" -"I'm going to beach you off", "no I'm going to beach YOU off", etc. It ends with, spoiler alert, Barbie visiting the gynaecologist (because she is somehow granted the ability to become real; the film has no internal logic at all).

If it's a film for anyone, it's for 20-somethings who aspire to drive electric SUVs.

The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart. Any end to the Venture Bros. story would disappoint, by virtue of it being the end, but it's pretty enjoyable nonetheless.

If it's a film for anyone, it's for 20-somethings who aspire to drive electric SUVs.

This is great and possibly true.

I am torn with this - the trailers look funny, but I suspect the movie will be crap. I also don’t want to give these pricks my hard earned and resent the “irony within irony” arc in all this. Barbie is dumb, barbie is a tragedy for body images, barbie encompasses everything about comfortable white privilege etc etc. But now barbie is cool and ironic and empowering and…[other stuff]. I’m confused!

I’m sure there will be much hand wringing and analysis… who knows what conclusions may be drawn…

…AND I think Greta Gerwig is a cool director - Lady Bird was cool… (shakes head, mutters “this modern world “…)

Watched Wise Blood today, for the umpteenth time. Still great.

On another note - watched Kings of Summer w my 15 year old - funny as hell. Sure it recycles a few coming of age tropes, but there’s good stuff here. Also stars Nick Offerman from Parks & Rec, so there’s that…
Highly recommend if u got teens - ignore the R rating - just some swearing and an eviscerated rabbit…

Anthony Flack wrote: Sat Jul 22, 2023 6:40 pm This is what a quarter century of shit movies has done to people, so go ahead and strike. Stay on strike.

Perhaps I'm being culturally insensitive here,, but Hollywood adopted the Bollywood model some time back, where they're just regurgitating star vehicles, nostalgia, fan service, and familiar plots ad infinitum. Star Wars, Marvel, Tom Cruise franchises, etc... They have made 10...fucking 10 Fast and Furious movies. They have made 8 Transformers movies. etc...etc... It all just coalesces into one indistinguishable slurry of rehashed garbage. It used to be that things like Death wish 4 were considered a target for ridicule, but now "Straight to Video" is all there is, and the publicum's thirst for even more of the same cannot be slaked, so I don't expect that to change.

It used to seem like the Oscar hopeful track meant that we'd get a dozen 5-10 million dollar budget films (update this figure as realistically as you know how, you get the idea) about people and ideas fronted by the more talented actors alternating "I do one for me and one for them", some of which would cross over into the big theaters. These would keep the lights on in subsidiary studios and indie theaters to hold a space for weirder shit.

It seems like the general public is less interested in being challenged then they were in the 70's and a lot of indie flicks can be enjoyed pretty well at home. There have always been big dumb popcorn flicks but I hope the auteurs can keep finding mid-level success for more curious work. It seems like the whole ecosystem relies on it.

I didn't think that the Barbie movie would garner some two pages of comments on PRF, but here we are, and I'm now adding one more comment to the list.

My wife and daughter are going to see it this afternoon. My other daughter is going to see it with friends on Friday.

I... don't know. Barbie has never meant anything to me, so I'm not going.

jfv wrote: Mon Jul 24, 2023 11:25 am
I... don't know. Barbie has never meant anything to me, so I'm not going.

Yeah, I'm just going to wait for streaming. Saw a couple of clips and it came off as kinda irritating.

I saw Oppenheimer a second time last night, this time with my family, and this time in a run-of-the-mill digital projection theater with comfier seats ("digital IMAX" didn't really do anything for me).

I mostly agree with my previous comments, though I paid a little more attention to the use of the score this time, which is incredible. Also, Nolan's use of it behind dialogue didn't bother me this time. I'm guessing there will be a few folks nominated for awards for this film. One of them should be Ludwig Göransson.

My verdict for now is that it's an excellent film. Planning to pick up the book American Prometheus.