grudlian.

I'm learning a lot about celebrity relationships today because I didn't know this either.

Today I learned Susan Sarandon isn't her birth name and that she was married to Chris Sarandon.

I wonder if this is one of those things where people are fascinated and find meaning in it that isn't there. If you've ever heard of The Shaggs, they have genuine fans. Frank Zappa, Kurt Cobain considered their album great even though it's objectively garbage. If they got together today, The Shaggs next album or tour would do some business. I wonder if Florence Foster Jenkins was Cole Porter's The Shaggs.

But on the plus side, no raisins! William Hung released multiple albums and a Christmas EP. He's arguably on par with Florence Foster Jenkins for success.

My problem is that the movie goes on way too long. It feels like it really only has a couple things to do. Once you've heard her sing, it doesn't really change. It's a different audience but it's the same reveal...again. The only real change after "lol she's terrible... can you believe it?" is pushing just how sweet Hugh Grant is by going this distance for her. I quite like the buildup to her reveal. I like the emotional bits at the end. But that's maybe an hour of movie and this is nearly two hours. I know you need to have a middle section but could it have been shorter?

My main problem with Rocky II is that Rocky wins. It works emotionally but is this even plausible? The first movie works because Apollo is basically expecting an exhibition. He hasn't properly trained. He's not the mentally. But could Apollo the heavyweight champion go into Rocky II against a nobody and realistically lose? I admit I don't know anything about boxing but is there a real world analogue to this at all? Anything even close to this happening?

1. Rocky 2. Creed 3. Balboa 4. Rocky II 5. Rocky IV 6. Rocky III 7. Rocky V I'm seeing Creed 2 tomorrow. So, I still don't have a ranking but I'm going in cautiously optimistic. I think Balboa, until Creed came out, is the first Rocky sequel that got what made Rocky so special. It's got the drama, the heart, the emotion that separates it from the hundred other sports movies that all follow the same formula. The problem is you can't really have Balboa without at least a few of the sequels. Rocky IV is debateably the worst of the series. It's only better than III and V because it gets so goofy that it turns laughably good in parts. The robot alone is practically a joke. It would be impressive now. Let alone 30 years ago.

Yes

I definitely don't think art "should" make you feel uncomfortable. Art should make you feel something but it doesn't have to be discomfort. And a lot of things that aren't art make me feel uncomfortable. And I'm not sure how Taxi Driver doesn't make someone feel uncomfortable. So, it meets that criteria in spades. I'm also not a fan of A Clockwork Orange either. I've always thought a lot of it came across as almost amateurish. I just think of bits like a person getting stabbed with a giant penis and the, I guess, subliminal messaging of cutting to the paintings during the stab. Things like that feel like film school student saying "did you get the symbolism?????" I know there's more to the movie than that but ehhhhh. This is just boring. I'm not offended by the content. It just doesn't do anything for me.

It looks like Perfect Stranger is free to stream on hoopladigital.com if your library or school uses that resource.

I have some real issues with Paul's ranking of the Rocky movies. I do appreciate him putting Rocky 4 near the bottom where it belongs though. I'll probably get into it more during the Unspooled board during Rocky.

Yeah. The HDTGM classics is typically through Amazon. As I recall from when I hosted, you can just maximize the Amazon player in rabbit and it works like normal.

Yeah, but Meryl Streep doesn't have Look Who's Talking Now. But I honestly am kind of puzzled by Annie Hall. I think it's okay but it's not even Woody Allen's best. I've never understood it as the go to great Woody Allen movie.

Adaptation is a great choice for a Meryl Streep movie if you must include one (though I'd argue you don't because, well, a lot of then are merely okay). This is how I felt about Diane Keaton when she came up on the HDTGM forums recently. Diane Keaton is great except she's relegated to a bunch of mediocre movies for the past 30+ years.

I know the question is brought up in the Clockwork Orange episode, but if you remove Sophie's Choice, what Meryl Streep movie would you choose? Here is what Meryl Streep has to say about it: https://www-theonion-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.theonion.com/name-one-masterpiece-of-cinema-that-ive-starred-in-1819584655/amp?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQECAFYAQ%3D%3D#aoh=15435065943873&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From %1%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theonion.com%2Fname-one-masterpiece-of-cinema-that-ive-starred-in-1819584655

None of this is that surprising. Parts of this movie felt like a prestige soap opera. Plus it's an 80s British miniseries which, based on the handful I've seen, they are awfully melodramatic even the ones held up as legitimately great by critics.

Regarding the major twist:

I'd say this falls into the realm of "movie magic" or "movie logic" that most movies or shows fall into. I think the parent losing a job right before Christmas but they still have presents for the kids is enough of a trope to kind of ignore.

I assumed by "tax season" they meant getting everything wrapped up for year end. A lot of businesses try to get things on the books by December 31 so it will qualify for the next year's taxes. Not exactly tax season but it's for taxes. I'm not sure if this is necessarily be an accountant's job but I don't actually know what accountants do on a day to day basis. As for no savings, they live in New York City. Depending on where they live, that apartment could be several thousand dollars a month. Travolta barely had a job at the end of the last movie and just started this new one. So, not having savings isn't ridiculous especially when you consider the number of families who have basically no liquid savings.

Widows was awesome. I've never seen an audience so vocal and into their reactions to what was on screen. I left the theatre wishing it had been longer and then found out it was based on a 9 hour miniseries. So, that explains away most of my issues of it feeling a bit jumpy in places. My real issue is I can't find the miniseries anywhere to watch legally.

The most important thing about this movie is the Diane Keaton dog wants a slice of lemon with her water. Don't do this. Lemons can upset a dog's stomach and cause vomiting or diarrhea. The small amount of juice from lemon in a bowl of water may not cause problems but do you really want to risk it?

Technically, the Star Wars Host Special is a Life Day movie not a Christmas movie. So, it shouldn't be an option. (anything to not suffer through it again)

Stingo didn't come across as an incel to me either. You're right that incels, at least on my understanding, are pretty misanthropic (with a pretty strong focus on hating women). There's a world of difference in my mind between an incel and guy who is inexperienced with sex. Stingo strikes me as the latter.