Bald Movies – 1917 (2020)

Tonight Jim and I went to see Sam Mendes’ WW1 film, 1917. It was a truly harrowing experience, and a strangely intimate piece despite the grand scale of the theater and war itself. George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman do incredible work forging an emotional connection with the audience in a very short amount of screen time. The movie is paced flawlessly, shot beautifully, whether it’s the pitiless hell of no-man’s land or a burning French town illuminated chiefly by the harsh flat light of flares as the British and German troops play a deadly game of cat and mouse. It’s an extremely tough watch in places, but an effective reminder of the horrors and pointless futility of war.

Bald Movies – Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Jim and I saw a Star Wars film tonight.  We were displeased. If you loved or liked the film, we’re really happy for you. But this trilogy wasn’t for us, much like it’s father, the prequel trilogy before it. If you hate the film, we totally get that, too. All we ask is that you try to be happy for the people who are happy, and try to be understanding to the people who are feeling a bit numb like us.  We’ll be back in 2020 for some more awesome movies, and probably a few that will suck, as is tradition. See you then!

Bald Movies – Ford v Ferrari (2019)

We saw the Ford v Ferrari tonight, and got exactly what we were bargaining for. A film about cars designed to go fast and the men who are driven to, uh, drive them. There’s lots of cussin’ and fussin’ and punchin’, and going real fast. All driving strategy is reduced to shifting a gear and hitting the gas at the dramatically appropriate moment, and there isn’t a lot of depth and complexity. But man, the cars are beautiful, the driving action intense, and the sound design amazing. If you were looking forward to seeing this film like we were, then it’s hard to imagine you’ll be disappointed. And if you weren’t? Well, see us back next week for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

Bald Movies – Doctor Sleep (2019)

Jim and went to see Dr. Sleep tonight, and left the theater wide awake. It’s not The Shining, but it doesn’t try to be. Instead, it does it’s own thing, which in retrospect is appropriate for a movie about an adult Danny Torrance, who battles his father’s demons with addiction to emerge a better man. The cast is amazing, led by the ever engaging Ewan McGreggor and relative newcomer Kyliegh Curran as the brightest Shine of a generation. Director Mike Flanagan (Gerald’s Game) once again proves a deft hand adapting Stephen King. Don’t go in expecting Kubrick, and we think you’ll be pleased. See you next week for Ford v. Ferrari!

Bald Movies – Cinema Spooktacular: The Search for Spook! (2019) – Vol. 3

Cecily and A.Ron continue the Search for Spook with the third annual Cinema Spooktacular, Vol. 3.  In this year’s installment, we try out a new format: classic movie, wildcard movie, and a current year release.  This year’s Cinema Spooktacular will be presented to you in three volumes throughout the month of October.