I’m two planned movies away from the end of the month, but I’ve got time now soooooo. Not the best month for new releases, between awards season focus and pandemic shuffling. BUT the fun theaters are picking up the slack with great classic screenings. Also, my Alamo Season Pass is reinstated, so I intend to use that whenever I can.
Licorice Pizza – I adore the first half of PTA’s filmography (thru There Will Be Blood) but I haven’t cared for anything that came after. This was prolly the one I most enjoyed outta the back half. It still doesn’t rival anything from the first half, had some very problematic things going on, and it may have lost my interest partway thru, but I still prefer it over the others. The kids were great, and I can’t get over how much of PSH I saw in his kid’s face.
The 355 – Love everything about this cast, but the whole thing was kinda basic. Predictable turns in a fairly standard plot. Some cool sequences, but I’d like to put those and these ladies in a better film.
Shampoo – The first movie I used my Alamo season pass on was this Warren Beatty classic. It was not for me at all. It’s super dated and I just did not care about his character at all. He had no redeeming qualities for me. Goldie Hawn, however, is an absolute goddess and I was delighted whenever she had screentime. It was also the first time I watched a young Goldie and saw Kate Hudson.
Scream (2022) – This has been the (only) movie to talk about these days, so when asked my opinion, my response is thus. What sets the Scream movies apart in the horror world is the meta aspect. This movie expertly continues that tradition. The “re-quel” speech is my favorite part of it and pretty good representation of the film as a whole
Boogie Nights – Yes this is firmly in the top half of PTA’s filmography, and I forgot just how good it is. Or how funny it is. Such a treat to see it on the big screen at Alamo.
The Goonies – I know I must have gushed over this movie many times, so I’ll spare you that. I did get to see it as a Movie Party at Alamo, which was so much fun. They gave us a bunch of props including a bag of plastic jewels and a tiny Baby Ruth. Much fun was had. Never say die.
Magnolia – Okay so lots of theaters have been diving into PTA’s back catalog bc of Licorice Pizza and the lack of current films. This one was at the New Bev. Twenty years ago, Magnolia changed the way I look at movies and it was so majestic on the big screen. I can’t get over how much I love every frame of this. And with that, I think Punch Drunk Love is now the only PTA I have not seen on the big screen.