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Thursday, January 25, 2018

Report Card----'Call Me By Your Name"

I only have two more movies that the Academy has deemed Oscar worthy.
They never sent me "Dunkirk"  or the one Denzel Washington is up for.
And I snoozed through "Phantom Thread", however good Daniel Day Lewis might have been.
I had a couple of real turkeys that I'm going to spare you from hearing about.

"Call Me By Your Name" is a very appealing tribute to the gay lifestyle.

On to the scoring:

Did you have any built in expectations about this film, and if so, were they met, or even exceeded?

I only that James Ivory wrote the screenplay, and his work has most often been laced with gay themes.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.
A.

Is it interesting?

Totally
A.

Compelling even?

Not really.
C.

Is it good storytelling?

Very good.
A.

Is it well written?

Extremely. 
A+.

Is it well cast? Well played?

Yes.  
A+.

Well shot?

Particularly.  It's a feast for the eyes.
A+.

Did the director put such a personal stamp on it so that no one else could have made it?

Don't know, really.
B.

 How long does it take to establish the film's locale and time period?

Immediately  It's the seventies, when coming out was more daring.
A.

Is it too long? Too short?

About right.
A.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?.

Yes, and yes.
A+.

Is it predictable?

Not at all.
A+.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

A lot.
A+.

Is it funny?

Often
A+.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

Some bucks.
A.

Is it impressive?

Very
A..

Overall grade: A.
If I wasn't so disinclined, I might consider taking the plunge.
We've come a long way since "Boys in The Band"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books, "Show Runner" and "Show Runner 2" can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store,
along with newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have since been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.,
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not e-books.
But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@comcast.net
And now, there's my reading f my screenplay of my unmade "Laverne and Shirley" movie on "YouTube".

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Report Card---Hostiles

"Hostiles" is a pretty great western.  Christian Bale is sensational.  It's a rip-roarer.

On to the scoring:

Did you have any built in expectations about this film, and if so, were they met, or even exceeded?

It's been advertised as the greatest western since "The Unforgiven". That's a pretty high bar.  It isn't even the greatest western this year.  That would be "Mudbound".
F.

Is it interesting?

Totally
A.

Compelling even?

Often.
A.

Is it good storytelling?

Very good.
A+.

Is it well written?

Extremely. 
A+.

Is it well cast? Well played?

Yes.  Bale is great.
A+.

Well shot?

Particularly.
A+.

Did the director put such a personal stamp on it so that no one else could have made it?

Absolutely.
A+.

How long does it take to establish the film's locale and time period?

Immediately
A.

Is it too long? Too short?

About right.
A.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?.

Yes, and yes.
A+.

Is it predictable?

Not at all.
A+.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

A lot.
A+.

Is it funny?

Often
A+.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

Yes.  But it's not the greatest thing since chopped liver.
A.

Is it impressive?

Extremely
A+.

Overall grade: A.

Surprisingly, got shut out for the Oscars.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books, "Show Runner" and "Show Runner 2" can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store,
along with newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have since been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.,
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not e-books.
But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@comcast.net
And now, there's my reading f my screenplay of my unmade "Laverne and Shirley" movie on "YouTube".

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About Me

Hi. I am, according to my Wikipedia entry,(which I did not create) a noted television writer, playwright, screenwriter, and occasional actor. You can Google me or go to the IMDB to get my credits, and you can come here to get my opinions on things, which I'll try to express eloquently. Hopefully I'll succeed. You can also e-mail me at macchus999@aol.com. Perhaps my biggest claim to fame is being responsible, for about six months in 1975, while Head Writer for the "Happy Days" TV series, for Americans saying to each other "Sit on it."