Backyard Movie Nights Wrap-up
Dec. 13, 2024, 9:36 p.m.
We wrapped up our summer movie nights with a trio of classics: Twister (1996), Vertigo (1958), and The Princess Bride (1987).
Having seen the trailers for the legacy sequel, we decided to see how the original Twister holds up! Written by Michael Crichton and featuring performances from Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, it has been called "a triumph of technology over storytelling and the actors' craft." Roger Ebert wrote, "You want loud, dumb, skillful, escapist entertainment? Twister works." This one was definitely a crowd-pleaser, and a perfect way to spend a hot summer evening.
In August we took a look at Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, a psychological thriller from the master of the genre. This movie has aged well despite being old enough to collect Social Security; the tale of murder and obsession is ageless, and the shots of San Francisco and its environs are absolutely gorgeous.
In September (coinciding with Jessica's birthday) we watched a classic from our childhoods, The Princess Bride. This infinitely quotable comic adventure is a good old-fashioned swashbuckler featuring fencing, giants, pirates, royal intrigue, miracle men, six-fingered sadists, and more. It sill captivates the young, we learned, as Alma could not be enticed to go to bed while it was still on. And best of all, some of our friends even got to enjoy the experience for the first time.
Thanks to everyone who joined us at the movies this summer!
- john
Japanese Cinema June
May 29, 2024, 9:19 p.m.
In June we will continue to chip away at the backlog, this time returning to Kurosawa's High and Low (1963). The film, based on the 1959 American crime novel King's Ransom, centers on a plot to kidnap a rich man's son that goes awry when the kidnappers nab the son of the man's chauffeur instead. A departure in tone from last month's entry, the movie's twin dramas have police racing to solve the crime while the wealthy Gondo weighs whether to sacrifice his business to save a child who is not his. An upcoming English-language remake, helmed by director Spike Lee, is currently in production.
In lieu of trailers, a video essay on movement in Kurosawa's oeuvre will be shown before the film at 9pm or dark, Friday, June 14.
- john
Make-up May
May 5, 2024, 9:14 p.m.
Summer movie nights are back! This year we're planning to show one movie a month, from May to September.
Since there are a few films we never got a chance to screen for one reason or another, this May we'll have a second chance screening for one of the pictures in our backlog.
Join us Friday, May 17 for a sweet romp about a team of college baseball players in Texas in the 80s. Critics' consensus: Nostalgic in the best sense, Everybody Wants Some!! finds Richard Linklater ambling through the past with a talented cast, a sweetly meandering story, and a killer classic rock soundtrack.
As usual, 2016-release trailers and movie will begin around 9:00pm or dark!
- john