Before delving into the recent viewings, some of the recent works we’ve checked out include Call of the Wild and Birds of Prey, the theatrical release of The Rhythm Section, and some catch-up recently on A Quiet Place and Cold Pursuit. This past month also had Darius stepping in to provide a review for The Photograph. We’re looking forward to when theaters can open again and get behind supporting them so we can continue to enjoy the big screen experience.
This week had me focusing on the TV side of things a bit as I was trying to keep my headspace simple and focusing on sitcoms and easy to process stuff. With my daughter stuck at home with me at the moment, we’ve managed to nail down a couple of movies in the to-watch pile though as I managed to get her away from Animal Crossing: New Horizon. The first one is Contact, which I had recommended a long time ago to watch since she’s interested in the material in general, and enjoys the trash stuff like Ancient Aliens as well. It’s been a long time since I last saw this, having owned the original DVD that came out in 1998 during the DVD trial phase. I never upgraded to Blu-ray for some reason even though I thoroughly enjoy the movie. It’s a fast 2 1/2 hours as it explores Sagan’s book and deals with a potential first contact, grapples with religion, politics, and faith. It’s strong across the board and reminds of when Robert Zemeckis used to make films that really connected on a heart level. The special effects are still pretty good overall considering the time that’s passed and the performances are stellar. Foster is always fantastic but that we also get more great material out of Tom Skerritt and John Hurt, a not quite-Alien reunion, just makes me happy.
One film I’ve wanted to show her for some time was the Pink Floyd: The Wall movie. Growing up as a kid in the early 80s and hitting the junior high period, the cassettes for this were a big staple of the cool crowd and I was definitely not that. I was still engaging in the Motown songs with my records and cassettes. But as I came around to this when I was older and better able to process it toward the end of my high school career, the film really drew me in more. This also marked her first experience with their music so it was definitely one of those moments. The film is definitely a curious piece overall and it plays to my love of concept albums and well-done rock operas. Coming out in 1982, it’s a disjointed and jumbled piece in its earliest parts, taking about a third of the way before it really settles into a clearer narrative. But there’s enough tantalizing material to grab onto and enjoy the ride. I love the starkness of the animation and Bob Geldof was solid in this role trying to convey as much as was asked.
What are you watching this week?