Movies Past and Present

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for August 2020

I am watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Here’s the rundown of this month’s movies (courtesy of my Instagram feed).

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” pic is CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977). Starring Melinda Dillon and Richard Dreyfuss, this movie is both an homage to and a big departure from the alien invasion movies of the 1950s. J. Hoberman wrote in the @nytimes that the film “revived the Cold War space-invader genre with a difference. Humans had previously been menaced by bloodsucking carrots or brain-eating Martians; in ‘Close Encounters,’ the new extraterrestrials were positively angelic.” Written and directed by Steven Spielberg. Good stuff. 🛸 @turnerclassicmovies @devilstowernps #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: @sonypictures)

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I’ve added a movie to my TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” watch list that’s not in the book: @disneystudios THE BLACK HOLE (1979). This movie is gloriously bad. The art direction and production design are 💯 and the story is absolutely terrible. And get ready for one of the weirdest and worst endings ever when the surviving astronauts actually go through the titular space region. Still, it’s a guilty pleasure and I’ll be watching it this week for my sci-fi viewing project. The film is available on @disneyplus so you can share in the pain with me if you’re so inclined. #theblackhole #guiltypleasure #disneyplus (🎨: @disney)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” pic is ALIEN (1979). Still terrifying after all these years. 😱👽 🚀 #inspacenoonecanhearyouscream @turnerclassicmovies #tcm #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: @20thcenturystudios)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” pic is E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982). Author Sloan de Forest states, “For a motion picture that stars a special effect, E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL connects with viewers on a deeply authentic level. It portrays a bond of understanding that transcends barriers of culture, language, and even species. Most of all, it’s about the power of believing. Elliott expresses this simply and perfectly when he says good-bye to E.T., assuring him, ‘I’ll believe in you all my life.” 🛸🚲 #et #etphonehome @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: @universalpictures)

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August 24, 2020 Podcast

Welcome to this episode of the Movies Past and Present podcast!

You can listen below as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

New in Theaters

Theatres across the U.S.A. are starting to reopen! Let’s hope they can do so safely and that everyone can stay well.

Last Weekend

Unhinged (Solstice Studios)

This Weekend

The New Mutants (20th Century Studios)
The Personal History of David Copperfield (Searchlight Pictures)

Also of Note

Tenet is finally opening next week! Advance screenings are happening August 31, September 1, and September 2. The film opens in most U.S. markets where theaters are open on September 3. Check your local theater for showtimes (where available). Tenet is also playing in IMAX.

Reviews

I watched two new movies on Disney+.

Howard (2018)
The One and Only Ivan (2020)

Classic Cinema Corner

More like “Guilty Pleasures Corner”… I watched the dreadful yet beautiful The Black Hole (1979) on Disney+.

I thought this documentary about the making of The Black Hole was very interesting. Not sure how accurate all of the information is, but it was still enjoyable.

Thank You for Tuning In!

Subscribe to the Movies Past and Present podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. I hope that watching some great movies will bring you peace and comfort this week. Be safe out there! Thanks again.

August 5, 2020 Podcast

Welcome to the 50th episode of the podcast!

You can listen below as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Coming to Theaters

Are we actually going to get new Hollywood blockbusters in theaters in 2020? Warner Bros. is planning to open Tenet on August 28 internationally and on September 3 in select U.S. cities (TBA).

The Walt Disney Studios has decided to put their live-action/CGI remake of Mulan on their Disney+ streaming service. They will charge $29.99 for this “premiere access” viewing beginning on September 4. It will also be opening in some theaters (most likely in international markets) that don’t get Disney+ (also TBA). The film will be a regular part of the Disney+ library in a few months (meaning no extra charge to watch). It’s the Wild Wild West for new movie releases, that’s for sure.

I loved seeing two Star Wars films—The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and The Force Awakens (2015)—as part of the “comeback classics” that have been playing in movie theaters while we’re waiting for new Hollywood releases to happen. Big thanks to Disney and Lucasfilm for re-releasing the films and to Megaplex Theatres for such a nice and safe movie going experience.

Classic Cinema Corner

Paramount Pictures’ new “Paramount Presents” Blu-ray Discs are really cool. More info at Amazon.com.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is continuing the tradition of their “Summer Under the Stars” programming during the entire month of August. Check out the full lineup on the TCM website.

Thank You for Tuning In!

August Is TCM’s “Summer Under the Stars” Month

August 2020 on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) again means “Summer Under the Stars.” Every day during the month, a different Hollywood actor will be highlighted with 24 hours worth of films. So, get excited for some deep cuts, new discoveries, and old favorites from some great movie stars.

For a full schedule, visit the TCM “Summer Under the Stars” website. The day resets at 6:00 a.m. ET.

Here’s the full rundown for the month:

August 1 – Barbara Stanwyck
August 2 – Rock Hudson
August 3 – Rita Hayworth
August 4 – S.Z. “Cuddles” Sakall
August 5 – Ann Miller
August 6 – Burt Lancaster
August 7 – Sylvia Sidney
August 8 – Charlie Chaplin
August 9 – Goldie Hawn
August 10 – Norma Shearer
August 11 – Sammy Davis Jr.
August 12 – Lana Turner
August 13 – John Barrymore
August 14 – Steve McQueen
August 15 – Nina Foch
August 16 – Cary Grant
August 17 – Maureen O’Hara
August 18 – Warren Beatty
August 19 – Delores del Rio
August 20 – William Powell
August 21 – Diana Dors
August 22 – Natalie Wood
August 23 – Olivia de Havilland
August 24 – George Raft
August 25 – Anne Shirley
August 26 – Laurence Olivier
August 27 – Claudette Colbert
August 28 – Paul Henreid
August 29 – Eva Marie Saint
August 30 – Charlton Heston
August 31 – Alain Delon

Image ©️ Turner Classic Movies

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for July 2020

The 2020 sci-fi movie project continues! I’m watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Here’s the rundown of this month’s movies (with two of the four sections courtesy of my Instagram feed).

Sleeper (1973)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” film is SLEEPER (1973). Co-written and directed by Woody Allen, this sci-fi comedy farce tells the story of a man (Allen) who gets cryogenically frozen and is revived 204 years later. Allen’s trademark snappy dialogue, non-stop jokes, and cultural jabs are firmly in place. The film is very busy, yet it succeeds as great satire, excellent social commentary, and a terrific homage to Allen’s favorite silent movie stars, including Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Buster Keaton. Also stars Diane Keaton and John Beck. @turnerclassicmovies #letsmovie #tcmmustseescifi (📷: United Artists)

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The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

Pure torture.

Logan’s Run (1976)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” is LOGAN’S RUN (1976). A splashy, high-concept film set on Earth in the 23rd century where people live in a hedonistic pleasure dome but with a catch—you only can live to age 30, then you get killed in a bizarre public ritual. Those who avoid the ritual in order to live longer are called “runners.” Our hero, Logan (played by Michael York), is a “sandman,” whose job it is to kill anybody who tries to run. When he gets an assignment to find a place where many runners have been hiding, he and his love interest Jessica (played by Jenny Agutter) decide that perhaps that there might be more to life that what is presented to them in their dome of short-lived youthful pleasure. Also stars Roscoe Lee Browne, Farrah Fawcett, and Peter Ustinov. Author Sloan De Forest writes that “when gritty dramas like SERPICO (1973) and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUKOO’S NEST (1975) reveled in realism, LOGAN’S RUN offered pure escapism, recalling the grandeur of Hollywood’s golden age.” Directed by Michael Anderson. @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: MGM)

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Star Wars (1977)

One of my all time favorites (although I consider it more of a “space opera” than science fiction).

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for June 2020

My 2020 movie project continues of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

June’s films were as follows (content mostly from my Instagram feed).

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” is the mind-blowing 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968). Author Sloan De Forest states, “Much has been made of its importance, but the landmark film remains a classic primarily because it is so enjoyable to watch…[The film] is a feast for the eyes and ears, a work of idea-driven art that retains its power to shock, mystify, and entertain generations of viewers.” Co-written, produced, and directed by Stanley Kubrick. 🌌 🚀#imsorrydaveimafraidicantdothat @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie #alonetogether (📷: MGM)

A post shared by Movies Past and Present (@moviespap) on Jun 5, 2020 at 5:59pm PDT

Barbarella (1968)

I thought that this weird sci-fi sex comedy was mostly just excessive and stupid. I can understand its cult status, but it did nothing for me.

THX 1138 (1971)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” film is the experimental art film THX 1138 (1971). Co-written, edited, and directed by George Lucas and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, the film is set in a dystopian future where a man (played by Robert Duval) starts to question the status quo. Ambitious, stark, and impressive. @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie #scififridaynight (🎨: @wbpictures)

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A Clockwork Orange (1971)

This film is a difficult one. I know that’s the point, but I don’t think there was anything redeeming in it and I don’t believe I gained anything from submitting myself from the torture of watching it.

Silent Running (1972)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” entry is the ecological sci-fi film SILENT RUNNING (1972). Set in the near future, Bruce Dern plays a botanist who goes to extreme (and I mean extreme) measures to save an ecosystem of Earth’s forests that’s been preserved in an outer space bio dome. Author Sloan De Forest calls it “that rare science-fiction with not only a social conscience but a heart.” Directed by Douglas Trumbull. ♻️🌱🤖 🌌@turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: @universalpictures)

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And as an added bonus, I recently saw this cool poster for Silent Running created by artist Matt Ferguson.

Solaris (1972)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” pic is the artsy and cerebral film SOLARIS (1972). The film tells the story of a space station that is experiencing some seriously unusual phenomena (as in people from the astronauts’ past re-appearing on the ship). Author Sloan De Forest writes, “As much a heartrending drama, a fantasy, and a study in psychological horror as it is a science-fiction epic, [Russian director] Andrei Tartkovsky’s SOLARIS defies classification. It is a challenging film—plodding, ambivalent to the wonders of space, more concerned with atmosphere than action. But once experienced, its haunting world is not easily forgotten.” @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie [📷: Mosfilm (Russia)]

A post shared by Movies Past and Present (@moviespap) on Jun 26, 2020 at 12:12pm PDT

“The New Mutants” Update

I am ever hopeful that we’ll actually get to see some new movies in an actual theater this fall. One of the first ones out of the gate will be 20th Century Studios’ oft-delayed The New Mutants which is currently scheduled to open in theaters on August 28 (COVID-19 permitting).

Josh Boone, the film’s director, and the film’s main stars did a presentation at last week’s Comic-Con@Home event which is available to view on YouTube.

Check out this cool new poster for the film, too.

June 25, 2020 Podcast

Welcome to this week’s podcast!

You can listen below as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Local Movie Theater Report

I went to a movie in a theater and lived to tell about it (actually, Megaplex Theatres here in Salt Lake City did a fantastic job and I had a very positive experience).

What I’ve Been Watching

I’m in the middle of my James Bond 007 movie watching project–a venerable film series that has had its share of hits and misses.

Thank You for Tuning In!

June 18, 2020 Podcast

Welcome to this week’s podcast!

Black Lives Matter

Lots of important feature films and documentaries are available for free digital rental through the end of June (in most cases) on Apple iTunes and Amazon Prime Video. Check your preferred digital platform for other possible options.

The new Spike Lee Joint Da 5 Bloods is now available on Netflix.

Reviews

Disney’s adaptation of Artemis Fowl is truly foul. Review on the podcast.

Best Father’s Day Movies

It’s Father’s Day this Sunday, June 21. Celebrate the good men in your life with some quality cinema. My 10 pics are on the podcast.

The 1950 version of Father of the Bride will be playing on Turner Classic Movies this Father’s Day, June 21. Check your local listings.

Thank You for Tuning In!

TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Update for May 2020

The COVID-19 “social distancing” recommendations were still in place for most of month of May which led to some excellent movie watching at home. I’m still going strong with my 2020 movie project of watching all 50 movies listed in the cool book from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) called Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies that Are Out of This World by Sloan De Forest (Running Press, 2018; available at Amazon.com and Shop TCM). The complete list of 50 films is here.

Now that we’ve entered the 1960s, the films have been much more experimental and esoteric. Here’s the rundown of this month’s movies courtesy of my Instagram feed.

La Jetée (1962)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” film is the short film LA JETÉE (1962). It’s a time travel story made with only still photographs. Author Sloan De Forest calls it “strikingly provocative and unconventional…perhaps the world’s only postnuclear, science-fiction, cinéma vérité, short film…” I thought it was trippy and one-of-a-kind. Directed by avant-garde French filmmaker Chris Marker. 🇫🇷 @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie (📷: Argos Films)

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These Are the Damned (1962)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” film is THESE ARE THE DAMNED (1962). A nuclear paranoia film made in the UK, this one, according to author Sloan De Forest, is “[o]ne of the bleakest and most bizarre of the crop.” Based on the novel “The Children of Light” by H.L. Lawrence, this film “mixes motorcycle gangs, love, and radioactive children to form a particular pastiche.” Most likely not my thing, but I’m going to give it a try. Directed by Joseph Losey. 🇬🇧 @turnerclassicmovies #letsmovie #tcmmustseescifi #scififridaynight #socialdistancing (📷: Hammer Films, @sonypictures)

A post shared by Movies Past and Present (@moviespap) on May 8, 2020 at 7:35am PDT

Alphaville (1965)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” movie is the avant-garde French New Wave film ALPHAVILLE (1965). The film tells the story of a secret agent who travels to a far-away planet to destroy a super computer that has taken over the minds of its inhabitants. Author Sloan De Forest calls it “[o]ne of the most unconventional science-fiction movies ever made…a retro 1940s film noir colliding into a dystopian technocracy.” Director Jean-Luc Godard “deconstructs the expected science-fiction tropes and scrambles them, creating a new style that has left an indelible mark on cinema.” Definitely worth checking out. 🇫🇷 @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie #scififridaynight #socialdistancing (📷: Pathé Contemporary Films)

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Fantastic Voyage (1966)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi “ is FANTASTIC VOYAGE (1966). An adventure through the inner space of the human body, this film tells the story of five scientists (and their submarine) that get shrunk down and injected into a body to perform an emergency medical procedure. It’s a trip where blood vessels look like the inside of a lava lamp and antibodies are the enemy. Such a cool movie! Stars Arthur Kennedy and Raquel Welch (pictured) along with Stephen Boyd, Arthur O’Connell, and Donald Pleasence. Directed by Richard Fleischer. @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie #socialdistancing (📷: @20thcenturystudios)

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Planet of the Apes (1968)

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This week’s TCM “Must-See Sci-Fi” Film is PLANET OF THE APES (1968). Astronauts crash-land on a planet where simians are the dominant species and the humans are treated, well, like wild animals. The first of many “Apes” films, this one is still a stand out. Author Sloan De Forest writes “starting it all was the 1968 original, a case in which every element came together—acting, writing, direction, makeup, set design, and music—to exemplify…’the collaborative art of Hollywood at its best.’” Stars Charlton Heston as astronaut George Taylor, Kim Hunter as Zira, Roddy McDowall as Cornelius, and Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. 🙈🙉🙊 @turnerclassicmovies #tcmmustseescifi #letsmovie #scififridaynight #getyourstinkingpawsoffmeyoudamndirtyape #alonetogether (📷: @20thcenturystudios)

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