Bald Move Prestige - 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 Move Prestige - Ad Astra (2019)

Jim and I went to the outer reaches of the solar system with Ad Astra, the paradoxically slow moving, absorbing, thoughtful, but action packed sci-fi film starring Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones. We spend the better part of an hour talking about what we thought the film was about, and the strange, ultra-realistic yet dreamy quality to a lot of the proceedings. I think we both admired the film more than loved it, but I at least wouldn’t be surprised if further contemplation (and watches) revealed some hidden depths. 

Bald Move Prestige - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)

We went and saw “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, the latest movie written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie. It’s not his best film, it’s certainly not his “worst”, but for us it’s extremely watchable throughout it’s nearly three hour run-time and when it finally goes off the rails in the last reel, hoo-boy. Brad and Leo are having a lot of fun, the film is as gorgeous as you’d expect, and Hollywood looks as magical as it ever has on screen.  We’ll be back next week to check out Hobbes and Shaw, see you then! 

Bald Move Prestige - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)

We’ve seen Chiwetel Ejiofor’s (star of 12 Years a Slave, Doctor Strange) directorial debut on Netflix, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, and found it compelling and enlightening. Based on a true story about a Malawian boy who saves his village from famine with his wits, ingenuity, and education, The Boy offers us an inside look at things we can barely begin to relate to; widespread starvation, civil unrest and the breakdown of society. Things that we may have to relate to sooner than we think. 

Bald Move Prestige - Second Annual “Groundhog Day” Star Wars Marathon Wrap Up!

At long last we’re ready to wrap up our second annual “Groundhog Day” Star Wars movie marathon! With the help and support of the Bald Move community, we raised $15,691.51 for the National Alliance to End Homelessness over 24 grueling hours of non-stop Star Wars watching. There was food, there was mugs, there were socks. Mark Hamill gave us a tip of his cap. Bidets were raffled. Jim and A.Ron break down their thoughts and feelings on the event, and dish on plans for future marathons, then invite Ben Noll from the National Alliance to discuss their mission and how they feel they can truly end homelessness. Thanks everyone for helping to make this a smashing success, and we can’t wait to see what happens next year!

Bald Move Prestige - Roma (2018)

Jim and A.Ron have seen the highly acclaimed Netflix original, “Roma”, and we’re conflicted. On the one hand, we can see what it’s seen as great; it’s beautiful to look at, and it’s final act is as good as anything you’ll see anywhere and is widely accessible. The problem is that it asks you to crawl through 90 minutes tedious and boring and banal moments of everyday life before you get there. Now, that’s exactly how real life is, which is probably the point, and probably makes the final act land as well as it does, but it’s not going to be something everyone can or is willing to interface with. We think on balance it’s worth the effort, but not everyone is going to agree on the math on that. 

Bald Move Prestige - The Lives of Others (2006)

Nicholas Ragovis / AKA Doctor_Nick, victor of the Bald Move Fantasy Football League, has come to claim his spoils; a commissioned podcast! He has a great film for us, the 2006 German film The Lives of Others.  Written and directed by Henckel von Donnersmarck, the movie offers a look into the brutal repression and paranoia of the East German State Police during the 80s, and the effects it had on the lives of those that had to live under it. But there is hope in the form of a Stasi captain that has to confront his own conscious and humanity during an assignment to monitor an esteemed playwright. This movie has us thinking about totalitarian regimes past, current, and future, the strength of the human spirit, and how we as citizens need to keep the hands of the joyless off the levers of state power.