Week in Review 1/24 to 1/30

This has been a busy week! Lots of business stuff. I haven’t watched much, other than an episode of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel before heading to bed… I did manage to watch The Golem at Darkside Cinema! Saving Private Ryan and The Bling Ring from home. I also watched Buried Child on Broadway HD from my laptop! More on these…

The Golem is a weird little silent film shot in Germany in 1920. It’s about a Rabbi trying to protect his people from the Emporer. He makes the Golem out of clay to dazzle the Emporer; but then, the Golem goes on a rampage and is eventually defeated by a child. I loved the set, the costumes, the make-up, and the expressions of the actors conveying so much passion without words. Sonochromatic played the accompanying music which included an organ, drums, and horn. They improvise the music as they watch the film which is pretty cool! Silent films show the LAST Tuesday of the month at Darkside Cinema. Check it out for a cool experience 🙂

Written by Robert Rodat, directed by Steven Spielberg, released in 1998. Has it been that long? Jeesh. A war classic. I remember the first time I saw it. Bawled my eyes out. It turns out, my husband Greg had never seen it! What?! Found it on Amazon, since I didn’t want to dig through my box of VHS (no comment). Captain Miller, played by Tom Hanks, leads a crew behind enemy lines to find Private Ryan, played by Matt Damon, after the defense department learns all three of Ryan’s brothers were KIA. The all-star crew includes Tom Sizemore, Ed Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, and Jeremy Davies. Other notable actors include Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti, and Dennis Farina. Fun fact: It’s rumored they kept Matt Damon away from the rest of the crew to create more resentment for the rescue crew actors. That way, when they finally did catch up to him, they had another emotional layer to work with. Aww, directors and their tricks… Watch the trailer below:

Based on actual events and a Vanity Fair article written by Nancy Jo Sales. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola and released in 2013. This story takes place around 2008 when a group of high schoolers start robbing the houses of celebrities and then bragging about it with friends and on Facebook. They manage to steal about $3 million worth of goods from Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson, and Audrina Patridge before finally getting caught. The overall feel of the movie has a re-enactment style; however, it feels unfinished in many ways. The images are gorgeous at times; but, it’s difficult to appreciate the effort when it didn’t seem well executed. It would have been better either trimmed to 55 mins and shown on Discovery ID or expanded with celebrity testimonials and shown as a documentary series. Just goes to show, you can have Coppola as a last name but it doesn’t necessarily equal quality. No need to add to your watch list; although Emma Watson is solid. If curious, watch the trailer below:

Written by Sam Shepard. Available on BroadwayHD. A dramatic story of family relationships and secrets. A gorgeous set with stunning performances by Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, Taissa Farmiga, Paul Sparks, Nat Wolff, Larry Pine, and Rich Sommer. A glimpse into Americana and how some secrets never die no matter how long they’ve been buried. Watch the trailer below:

If you don’t know about BroadwayHD, it’s a streaming service, runs $7 a month, which provides theatrical performances from categories such as musicals, classics, Shakespeare, and others. Can’t make it to Broadway to see Kinky Boots? Macbeth with Patrick Stewart? Gypsy with Bette Midler? Les Miserables 25th Anniversary concert? You can watch them here for $7 a month! A lot cheaper than an actual live performance ticket. BroadwayHD does have a limited selection but for some who want to see good theatre or shows they hear people talking about but haven’t seen, this is a great place for a resource. Click HERE for more info.