Weekly Movie Recommendations

This week on The Movie Gourmet – a wrap-up of my experience last week’s Noir City in Oakland where Eddie Muller and team introduced me to four new noirs, two of which are magnificent. Now I’m screening films from the March 2024 Cinequest program.

Incidentally, my coverage of Slamdance in January highlighted three films. The Accident and The Complex Forms won the top two narrative feature awards and Demon Mineral  won the audience award for documentaries. I’ll let you know when/if they stream.

CURRENT MOVIES

• Anatomy of a Fall: family history, with life or death stakes. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• American Fiction: this can’t be happening. In theaters.
• Killers of the Flower Moon: an epic tale of epic betrayal. AppleTV (subscription), Amazon.
• The Holdovers: three souls must evolve beyond their losses. In theaters, Amazon.
• Poor Things: brazen, dazzling, feminist and very funny. In theaters.
• Dream Scenario: but it can’t be my fault, can it? Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Ferrari: his racecars are easy, his women are not. In theaters and streaming.
• The Boys in the Boat: underdogs soar. In theaters and streaming.
• The Zone of Interest: next door to the unthinkable. In theaters.
• Driving Madeleine: still spirited at 92. In arthouse theaters.
• Rustin: greatness, overlooked. Netflix.
• Maestro: not what she bargained for. Netflix.
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial: just what, not who, is on trial here? Showtime/Paramount+.
• The Crime Is Mine: better after Huppert shows up. In arthouse theaters.
• Cypher: the year’s most original movie? Hulu.
• Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy: a movie and its time. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

WATCH AT HOME

The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE:

• Run & Jump: a romance, a family drama and a promising first feature. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• The Gift: three people revealed. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
• Inez & Doug & Kira: the tangle of love, friendship and bipolar disorder. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• The Handmaiden: gorgeous, erotic and a helluva plot. Amazon, Vudu.
• Victoria: a thrill ride filmed in one shot. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, KinoNow.
• Youth: a glorious cinematic meditation on life. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: a Must See, perched on the knife edge between comedy and tragedy. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

ON TV

On February 11, Turner Classic Movies is airing the timeless and fantastic comedy, My Man Godfrey (1936). An assembly of eccentric, oblivious, venal and utterly spoiled characters make up a rich Park Avenue family and their hangers-on during the Depression. The kooky daughter (Carole Lombard) brings home a homeless guy (William Powell) to serve as their butler. The contrast between the dignified butler and his wacky employers results in a brilliant screwball comedy that masks searing social criticism that is still sharply relevant today. The wonderful character actor Eugene Pallette (who looked and sounded like a bullfrog in a tuxedo) plays the family’s patriarch, and he’s keenly aware that his wife and kids are completely nuts.

I feel strongly about this 88-year-old movie, which I first saw when it was only 36-years-old. We talk about screwball comedy, but this is the gold standard. And we need to remember the comic genius of Carole Lombard, who died supporting the war against fascism when she was only 33.

This week on The Movie Gourmet – a new review of The Zone of Interest. The best movies in theaters right now are American Fiction and Poor Things. The best current movies that you can watch at home are Anatomy of a Fall, Killers of the Flower Moon and The Holdovers.

CURRENT MOVIES

• Anatomy of a Fall: family history, with life or death stakes. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• American Fiction: this can’t be happening. In theaters.
• Killers of the Flower Moon: an epic tale of epic betrayal. AppleTV (subscription), Amazon.
• The Holdovers: three souls must evolve beyond their losses. In theaters, Amazon.
• Poor Things: brazen, dazzling, feminist and very funny. In theaters.
• Dream Scenario: but it can’t be my fault, can it? In theaters.
• Ferrari: his racecars are easy, his women are not. In theaters.
• The Boys in the Boat: underdogs soar. In theaters.
• The Zone of Interest: next door to the unthinkable. In theaters.
• Driving Madeleine: still spirited at 92. In arthouse theaters.
• Rustin: greatness, overlooked. Netflix.
• Maestro: not what she bargained for. Netflix.
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial: just what, not who, is on trial here? Showtime/Paramount+.
• The Crime Is Mine: better after Huppert shows up. In arthouse theaters.
• Cypher: the year’s most original movie? Hulu.
• Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy: a movie and its time. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

WATCH AT HOME

The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE:

• The Handmaiden: gorgeous, erotic and a helluva plot. Amazon, Vudu.
• The Gift: three people revealed. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
• Inez & Doug & Kira: the tangle of love, friendship and bipolar disorder. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Run & Jump: a romance, a family drama and a promising first feature. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Victoria: a thrill ride filmed in one shot. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, KinoNow.
• Youth: a glorious cinematic meditation on life. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: a Must See, perched on the knife edge between comedy and tragedy. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

ON TV

On February 6, Turner Classic Movies will air Harold Lloyd’s silent comedy classic Safety Last!, and this 101-year-old movie is still a zinger. Lloyd, with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, was one of the three great filmmakers of silent comedies. Safety Last! begins with a joke on the audience, when we discover we’re not watching the scene we thought we were. Off we go, bouncing through Lloyd’s rube-in-the-big-city misadventures, all the way to the iconic finale, where Lloyd himself (he did most of his own stunts) climbs the exterior of a 10-story building and hangs from the face of a clock (which was actually staged on a shorter warehouse, but still dangerous).

This week on The Movie Gourmet:

• A new review of American Fiction.
• The Slamdance film festival is now accessible to stream on the Slamdance Channel. Here’s my Slamdance preview, with my recommendations of The Complex Forms, The Accident, Demon Mineral and Slide.

I’m actually at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, covering the last weekend of the Noir City festival of film noir in person. Here’s my Noir City preview with recommended movies.

CURRENT MOVIES

• Anatomy of a Fall: family history, with life or death stakes. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• American Fiction: this can’t be happening. In theaters.
• Killers of the Flower Moon: an epic tale of epic betrayal. AppleTV (subscription), Amazon.
• The Holdovers: three souls must evolve beyond their losses. In theaters, Amazon.
• Poor Things: brazen, dazzling, feminist and very funny. In theaters.
• Dream Scenario: but it can’t be my fault, can it? In theaters.
• Ferrari: his racecars are easy, his women are not. In theaters.
• The Boys in the Boat: underdogs soar. In theaters.
• Driving Madeleine: still spirited at 92. In arthouse theaters.
• Rustin: greatness, overlooked. Netflix.
• Maestro: not what she bargained for. Netflix.
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial: just what, not who, is on trial here? Showtime/Paramount+.
• The Crime Is Mine: better after Huppert shows up. In arthouse theaters.
• Cypher: the year’s most original movie? Hulu.
• Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy: a movie and its time. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

WATCH AT HOME

The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE:

• Inez & Doug & Kira: the tangle of love, friendship and bipolar disorder. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• The Gift: three people revealed. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
• The Handmaiden: gorgeous, erotic and a helluva plot. Amazon, Vudu.
• Run & Jump: a romance, a family drama and a promising first feature. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Victoria: a thrill ride filmed in one shot. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, KinoNow.
• Youth: a glorious cinematic meditation on life. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: a Must See, perched on the knife edge between comedy and tragedy. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

ON TV

On January 31, Turner Classic Movies will air the 1974 neo-noir The Yakuza, starring Robert Mitchum. The world-weary Mitchum was the greatest male star of classic film noir, and 25 years later was still jaded and just as cool. Here, Mitchum plays a former GI who returns to Japan to help rescue the kidnapped daughter of an army buddy (Brian Keith) who still lives in Japan. Mitchum’s character has a unique relationship with a former Yazuka (Ken Takakura), who can help him navigate the Japanese underworld. Of course, the Japanese had been making Yakuza movies for over a decade, but The Yakuza introduced American audiences to the code of behavior of the Yakuza (severed fingers and all) and other aspects of Japanese culture. There’s a big reveal about two of the characters, and the finale is heavy duty. The Yazuka was directed by Sydney Pollack (Out of Africa, Tootsie, Jeremiah Johnson) from a screenplay adapted by Paul Shrader (Taxi Driver) and Robert Towne (Chinatown). James Shigeta, who I discuss in my post about The Crimson Kimono, also appears.

This week on The Movie Gourmet – two of my favorite film festivals are opening today:

• Slamdance: You read that name correctly -vit’s an alternative to Sundance. Whenever I cover a film festival, I’m on the lookout for first films and world premieres – and here’s a festival essentially entirely made up of first films and world premieres. Alumni incude Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) and many other bigtime filmmakers. It’s in Utah AND online. Here’s my Slamdance preview with recommended movies.
• Noir City: Noir City is the annual festival of the Film Noir Foundation, spearheaded by its founder and president Eddie Muller.  This year’s program for each night (or matinee) will present a double bill – one classic film noir from the US or UK, matched with one from Argentina, Mexico, France, Italy, Egypt, Japan or South Korea. It’s in Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater, and I’ll be attending two of the days. Here’s my Noir City preview with recommended movies.

And, coming up on TV, besides Babette’s Feast (described below in today’s post), I’m highlighting Jane Fonda’s first Oscar-winning performance in the now 53-year-old thriller Klute.

One of the year’s best films, Killers of the Flower Moon, is now available for free with an AppleTV subscription (or for $19.99 everywhere else).

CURRENT MOVIES

• Anatomy of a Fall: family history, with life or death stakes. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Killers of the Flower Moon: an epic tale of epic betrayal. AppleTV (subscription), Amazon.
• The Holdovers: three souls must evolve beyond their losses. In theaters, Amazon.
• Poor Things: brazen, dazzling, feminist and very funny. In theaters.
• Dream Scenario: but it can’t be my fault, can it? In theaters.
• Ferrari: his racecars are easy, his women are not. In theaters.
• The Boys in the Boat: underdogs soar. In theaters.
• Driving Madeleine: still spirited at 92. In arthouse theaters.
• Rustin: greatness, overlooked. Netflix.
• Fallen Leaves: two lonely people amid the driest of humor. In arthouse theaters.
• Maestro: not what she bargained for. Netflix.
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial: just what, not who, is on trial here? Showtime/Paramount+.
• The Crime Is Mine: better after Huppert shows up. In arthouse theaters.
• Cypher: the year’s most original movie? Hulu.
• Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy: a movie and its time. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• The Killer: interior monologue. Netflix.

WATCH AT HOME

The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE:

• The Gift: three people revealed. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
• Inez & Doug & Kira: the tangle of love, friendship and bipolar disorder. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• The Handmaiden: gorgeous, erotic and a helluva plot. Amazon, Vudu.
• Run & Jump: a romance, a family drama and a promising first feature. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Victoria: a thrill ride filmed in one shot. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, KinoNow.
• Youth: a glorious cinematic meditation on life. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: a Must See, perched on the knife edge between comedy and tragedy. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

ON TV

On January 21, Turner Classic Movies will present Babette’s Feast (1987), one of my Best Foodie Movies. Two aged 19th century Danish spinster sisters have taken in a French refugee as their housekeeper. The sisters carry on their father’s severe religious sect, which rejects earthly pleasures. After fourteen years, the housekeeper wins the lottery and, in gratitude, spends all her winnings on the ingredients for a banquet that she prepares for the sisters and their friends. As the dinner builds, the colors of the film become warmer and brighter, reflecting the sheer carnality of the repast. The smugly ascetic and humorless guests become less and less able to resist pleasure of the epicurean delights. The feast’s visual highlights are Caille en Sarcophage avec Sauce Perigourdine (quail in puff pastry shell with foie gras and truffle sauce) and Savarin au Rhum avec des Figues et Fruit Glacée (rum sponge cake with figs and glacéed fruits). This was the first Danish film to win Best Foreign Language Oscar.

This week on The Movie Gourmet – a new review of Driving Madeleine. I’m busy preparing to cover two film festivals that open next weekend: Slamdance and Noir City. I’m currently screening about a dozen Slamdance movies and will publish a fest preview with recommendations. I’ll preview Noir City, too, some of which I’ll be covering in-person in Oakland.

My choice as the year’s second-best movie, Anatomy of a Fall, is now streaming on the major platforms. Don’t miss it.

Here’s my year-end feature coverage:

• Best Movies of 2023
• 2023 Farewells: on the screen
• 2023 Farewells: behind the camera

REMEMBRANCE

Tom Wilkinson won an Oscar for Michael Clayton, but I best remember his searing performance in In the Bedroom and his delightful turn in The Full Monty.

CURRENT MOVIES

• Anatomy of a Fall: family history, with life or death stakes. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Killers of the Flower Moon: an epic tale of epic betrayal. AppleTV (subscription), Amazon.
• The Holdovers: three souls must evolve beyond their losses. In theaters, Amazon.
• Poor Things: brazen, dazzling, feminist and very funny. In theaters.
• Dream Scenario: but it can’t be my fault, can it? In theaters.
• Ferrari: his racecars are easy, his women are not. In theaters.
• The Boys in the Boat: underdogs soar. In theaters.
• Driving Madeleine: still spirited at 92. In arthouse theaters.
• Rustin: greatness, overlooked. Netflix.
• Fallen Leaves: two lonely people amid the driest of humor. In arthouse theaters.
• Maestro: not what she bargained for. Netflix.
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial: just what, not who, is on trial here? Showtime/Paramount+.
• The Crime Is Mine: better after Huppert shows up. In arthouse theaters.
• Cypher: the year’s most original movie? Hulu.
• Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy: a movie and its time. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu,YouTube.
• The Killer: interior monologue. Netflix.

WATCH AT HOME

From my Best Movies of 2023:

• OPPENHEIMER: creator of a monster controlled by others. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• ANATOMY OF A FALL: family history, with life or death stakes. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• PAST LIVES: a profound and refreshing romance. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• THE MAN WHO DID NOT WANT TO SEE TITANIC: wow – laughs, thrills, love. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• RETURN TO SEOUL: brilliantly crafted and emotionally gripping. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• BARBIE: a marriage of the intelligent and the silly. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• FREMONT: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. Amazon, Vudu.
• THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE: revoking one’s own celebrity. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu.
• MAY DECEMBER: a seat-squirmer of a psychodrama. Netflix.
• HANNAH HA HA: what makes for human value and fulfillment? Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

This week on The Movie Gourmet: new reviews of Poor Things, The Boys in the Boat and Ferrari. All three are good movies, and the extraordinarily original Poor Things is one of the year’s best.

Here’s my year-end feature coverage so far:

• Best Movies of 2023
• 2023 Farewells: on the screen
• 2023 Farewells: behind the camera

When we get to the Holidays I pause my regular WATCH AT HOME feature The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE) and replace it with the movies from my Best of 2023 list that are already available to stream.

CURRENT MOVIES

• Anatomy of a Fall: family history, with life or death stakes. In theaters.
• Killers of the Flower Moon: an epic tale of epic betrayal. AppleTV (subscription), Amazon.
• The Holdovers: three souls must evolve beyond their losses. In theaters, Amazon.
• Poor Things: brazen, dazzling, feminist and very funny.
• Dream Scenario: but it can’t be my fault, can it? In theaters.
• Ferrari: his racecars are easy, his women are not. In theaters.
• The Boys in the Boat: underdogs soar. In theaters.
• Rustin: greatness, overlooked. Netflix.
• Fallen Leaves: two lonely people amid the driest of humor. In theaters.
• Maestro: not what she bargained for. Netflix.
• Napoleon: didn’t they name a complex after this guy? In theaters before it streams on Apple TV.
• The Pigeon Tunnel: a great storyteller’s story, told at last. AppleTV.
• Fremont: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. Amazon, Vudu.
• May December: a seat-squirmer of a psychodrama. Netflix.
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial: just what, not who, is on trial here? Showtime/Paramount+.
• The Crime Is Mine: better after Huppert shows up. In theaters.
• Flora and Son: a bad mom turns it around. AppleTV.
• The Disappearance of Shere Hite: revoking one’s own celebrity. In theaters.
• Cypher: the year’s most original movie? Hulu.
• Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy: a movie and its time. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu,YouTube.
• The Killer: interior monologue. Netflix.
• Priscilla: icky, then unpleasant. In theaters.

WATCH AT HOME

From my Best Movies of 2023:

• OPPENHEIMER: creator of a monster controlled by others. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• PAST LIVES: a profound and refreshing romance. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• THE MAN WHO DID NOT WANT TO SEE TITANIC: wow – laughs, thrills, love. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• RETURN TO SEOUL: brilliantly crafted and emotionally gripping. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• BARBIE: a marriage of the intelligent and the silly. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• FREMONT: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. Amazon, Vudu.
• HANNAH HA HA: what makes for human value and fulfillment? Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

ON TV

On January 10, Turner Classic Movies is airing the always entertaining 1946 film noir Gilda. Glenn Ford plays a shady gambler who shows up in exotic Buenos Aires, where he lucks into a job with a casino operator; turns out that his new boss has a gorgeous young wife (Rita Hayworth). The Ford and Hayworth characters shared a past relationship that ended ugly. There are plot twists aplenty, including a faked death, former Nazis running a tungsten cartel, and a love affair that is on-again, off-again and on-again. Glenn Ford’s character spins like a top through sap-hero-jerk-hero. The wonderful actor Joseph Calleia comes brooding through the story. Gilda is almost worthwhile just for the dramatic cinematography of Rudolph Maté (D.O.A.) and for Hayworth’s stunning wardrobe.

But there’s more – Czar of Noir Eddie Muller has opened my eyes to a hiding-in-plain-sight nugget. Watch Gilda with the premise that the Glenn Ford character has an intimate relationship with his boss – so the appearance of the wife sparks a love triangle.

And, finally, a gourmet treat from the Movie Gourmet’s recent excursion to San Sebastian, Spain. San Sebastian is justifiably famous for its sumptuous and inexpensive pinxtos, and the trend started with a pinxto named for the glamorous Rita Hayworth character. It’s a toothpick loaded with a green olive, a few strips of pickled guindilla pepper, an anchovy filet, more guindilla strips, and a final olive, all coated with olive oil. It’s available in almost every San Sebastian bar, and called a Gilda (pronounced HEEL-dah).

This UPCOMING week on The Movie Gourmet, I’ll have my Best Movies of 2023, and new reviews of Poor Things, The Boys in the Boat and Ferrari. All three are good movies, and the extraordinarily original Poor Things is one of the year’s best.

Here’s my year-end feature coverage so far:

• 2023 Farewells: on the screen
• 2023 Farewells: behind the camera

During the Holidays I pause my regular WATCH AT HOME feature The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE) and replace it with the movies from my Best of 2023 list that are already available to stream.

CURRENT MOVIES

• Anatomy of a Fall: family history, with life or death stakes. In theaters.
• Killers of the Flower Moon: an epic tale of epic betrayal. AppleTV (subscription), Amazon.
• The Holdovers: three souls must evolve beyond their losses. In theaters, Amazon.
• Dream Scenario: but it can’t be my fault, can it? In theaters.
• The Lady Bird Diaries: essential history. Hulu.
• Rustin: greatness, overlooked. Netflix.
• Fallen Leaves: two lonely people amid the driest of humor. In theaters.
• Maestro: not what she bargained for. Netflix.
• Napoleon: didn’t they name a complex after this guy? In theaters before it streams on Apple TV.
• The Pigeon Tunnel: a great storyteller’s story, told at last. AppleTV.
• Fremont: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. Amazon, Vudu.
• May December: a seat-squirmer of a psychodrama. Netflix.
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial: just what, not who, is on trial here? Showtime/Paramount+.
• The Crime Is Mine: better after Huppert shows up. In theaters.
• Flora and Son: a bad mom turns it around. AppleTV.
• The Disappearance of Shere Hite: revoking one’s own celebrity. In theaters.
• Cypher: the year’s most original movie? Hulu.
• Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy: a movie and its time. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu,YouTube.
• The Killer: interior monologue. Netflix.
• Our Father, The Devil: can revenge extinguish trauma? AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
• Reptile: a neo-noir showcase for Benicio del Toro. Netflix.
• The Stones and Brian Jones: casualty of rock. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Priscilla: icky, then unpleasant. In theaters.

WATCH AT HOME

From my Best Movies of 2023 – so far:

• OPPENHEIMER: creator of a monster controlled by others. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• PAST LIVES: a profound and refreshing romance. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• THE MAN WHO DID NOT WANT TO SEE TITANIC: wow – laughs, thrills, love. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• RETURN TO SEOUL: brilliantly crafted and emotionally gripping. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• BARBIE: a marriage of the intelligent and the silly. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• FREMONT: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. Amazon, Vudu.
• HANNAH HA HA: what makes for human value and fulfillment? Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

ON TV

On New Year’s Eve, Turner Classic Movies presents the movie that invented the mockumentary: This Is Spinal Tap, co-written by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and the director Rob Reiner. Guest, of course went on to direct the mockumentaries Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, Mascots and his masterpiece, Best in Show. This Is Spinal Tap follows a dim-witted rock band on the decline. Tony Hendra is brilliant as the band’s long-suffering road manager; he downplays their cancelled show in Boston with, “I wouldn’t worry about it though, it’s not a big college town.” Watch for Dana Carvey and Billy Crystal as mimes. It’s difficult to pin down the funniest moment – the Stonehenge-themed stage set, the band’s succession of ill-fated drummers or the guitar amp that goes to eleven.

This week on The Movie Gourmet – new reviews of Maestro (now on Netflix), Fallen Leaves and The Crime Is Mine.

As The Wife and I left a screening of Maestro, I noted that I just can’t recommend most of the prestige movies supported by heavy advertising – Maestro, and also the ponderous Napoleon and the creepy Priscilla. Of the high profile films, I do recommend Killers of the Flower Moon and The Holdovers. Of course, there was plenty of hoopla this summer about two wonderful movies, Oppenheimer and Barbie, which you can now watch at home.

When we het to the Holidays I pause my regular WATCH AT HOME feature The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE) and replace it with the movies from my Best of 2023 list that are already available to stream.

CURRENT MOVIES

• Anatomy of a Fall: family history, with life or death stakes. In theaters.
• Killers of the Flower Moon: an epic tale of epic betrayal. AppleTV (subscription), Amazon.
• The Holdovers: three souls must evolve beyond their losses. In theaters, Amazon.
• Dream Scenario: but it can’t be my fault, can it? In theaters.
• The Lady Bird Diaries: essential history. Hulu.
• Rustin: greatness, overlooked. Netflix.
• Fallen Leaves: two lonely people amid the driest of humor. In theaters.
• Maestro: not what she bargained for. Netflix.
• Napoleon: didn’t they name a complex after this guy? In theaters before it streams on Apple TV.
• The Pigeon Tunnel: a great storyteller’s story, told at last. AppleTV.
• Fremont: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. Amazon, Vudu.
• May December: a seat-squirmer of a psychodrama. Netflix.
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial: just what, not who, is on trial here? Showtime/Paramount+.
• The Crime Is Mine: better after Huppert shows up. In theaters.
• Flora and Son: a bad mom turns it around. AppleTV.
• The Disappearance of Shere Hite: revoking one’s own celebrity. In theaters.
• Cypher: the year’s most original movie? Hulu.
• Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy: a movie and its time. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu,YouTube.
• The Killer: interior monologue. Netflix.
• Our Father, The Devil: can revenge extinguish trauma? AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
• Reptile: a neo-noir showcase for Benicio del Toro. Netflix.
• The Stones and Brian Jones: casualty of rock. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Priscilla: icky, then unpleasant. In theaters.

WATCH AT HOME

From my Best Movies of 2023 – so far:

• OPPENHEIMER: creator of a monster controlled by others. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• PAST LIVES: a profound and refreshing romance. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• THE MAN WHO DID NOT WANT TO SEE TITANIC: wow – laughs, thrills, love. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• RETURN TO SEOUL: brilliantly crafted and emotionally gripping. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• BARBIE: a marriage of the intelligent and the silly. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• FREMONT: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. Amazon, Vudu.
• HANNAH HA HA: what makes for human value and fulfillment? Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

This week on The Movie Gourmet – the best movie in theaters right now is Anatomy of a Fall, the funniest is Dream Scenario, and the most endearing is The Holdovers (also on Amazon). Watch for my upcoming reviews of Fallen Leaves and Maestro, while we all wait for the release of Poor Things, Zone of Interest, The Taste of Things and Ferrari.

I highlight (below) one of the bleakest Christmastime neo-noirs, Blast of Silence, and tomorrow I’ll write about a classic Christmas film noir, Cash on Demand.

When we het to the Holidays I pause my regular WATCH AT HOME feature The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE) and replace it with the movies from my Best of 2023 list that are already available to stream.

REMEMBRANCE

Ryan O’Neal became a movie star when he starred in the disgustingly saccharine Love Story. He later was eclipsed by his own daughter’s Oscar-winning performance in Paper Moon. He was a good sport, mocking Love Story with his final line in What’s Up, Doc?.

CURRENT MOVIES

• Anatomy of a Fall: family history, with life or death stakes. In theaters.
• Killers of the Flower Moon: an epic tale of epic betrayal. AppleTV (subscription), Amazon.
• The Holdovers: three souls must evolve beyond their losses. In theaters, Amazon.
• Dream Scenario: but it can’t be my fault, can it? In theaters.
• The Lady Bird Diaries: essential history. Hulu.
• Rustin: greatness, overlooked. Netflix.
• Napoleon: didn’t they name a complex after this guy? In theaters before it streams on Apple TV.
• The Pigeon Tunnel: a great storyteller’s story, told at last. AppleTV.
• Fremont: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. Amazon, Vudu.
• May December: a seat-squirmer of a psychodrama. Netflix.
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial: just what, not who, is on trial here? Showtime/Paramount+.
• Flora and Son: a bad mom turns it around. In theaters and AppleTV.
• The Disappearance of Shere Hite: revoking one’s own celebrity. In theaters.
• Cypher: the year’s most original movie? Hulu.
• Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy: a movie and its time. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu,YouTube.
• The Killer: interior monologue. Netflix.
• Our Father, The Devil: can revenge extinguish trauma? AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
• Reptile: a neo-noir showcase for Benicio del Toro. Netflix.
• Oppenheimer: creator of a monster controlled by others. Still in theaters.
• The Stones and Brian Jones: casualty of rock. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Priscilla: icky, then unpleasant. In theaters.

WATCH AT HOME

From my Best Movies of 2023 – so far:

• OPPENHEIMER: creator of a monster controlled by others. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• PAST LIVES: a profound and refreshing romance. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• THE MAN WHO DID NOT WANT TO SEE TITANIC: wow – laughs, thrills, love. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• RETURN TO SEOUL: brilliantly crafted and emotionally gripping. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• BARBIE: a marriage of the intelligent and the silly. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• FREMONT: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. Amazon, Vudu.
• HANNAH HA HA: what makes for human value and fulfillment? Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

ON TV

Any film noir aficionado will want to take advantage of Turner Classic Movies’ rare broadcast of Blast of Silence on December 18. Arguably the first neo-noir (and on my list of Overlooked Neo-noir), Blast of Silence features a solitary professional hit man who is NOT emotionally detached. Instead, he has to work himself into a cauldron of seething hatred before he performs each murder-for-hire. Perversely, this most nihilistic story is juxtapositioned against a New York City Christmastime.

Blast of Silence is not available to stream, so the only ways you can see it are to purchase the Criterion DVD or to catch it this week on TCM.

This week on The Movie Gourmet – new reviews of Dream Scenario and Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy. As I write, Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy is number 21 on my carefully curated list of Longest Movie Titles.

When we het to the Holidays I pause my regular WATCH AT HOME feature The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE) and replace it with the movies from my Best of 2023 list that are already available to stream.

CURRENT MOVIES

• Anatomy of a Fall: family history, with life or death stakes. In theaters.
• Killers of the Flower Moon: an epic tale of epic betrayal. AppleTV (subscription), Amazon.
• The Holdovers: three souls must evolve beyond their losses. In theaters, Amazon.
• Dream Scenario: but it can’t be my fault, can it? In theaters.
• The Lady Bird Diaries: essential history. Hulu.
• Rustin: greatness, overlooked. Netflix.
• Napoleon: didn’t they name a complex after this guy? In theaters before it streams on Apple TV.
• The Pigeon Tunnel: a great storyteller’s story, told at last. AppleTV.
• Fremont: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. Amazon, Vudu.
• May December: a seat-squirmer of a psychodrama. Netflix.
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial: just what, not who, is on trial here? Showtime/Paramount+.
• Flora and Son: a bad mom turns it around. In theaters and AppleTV.
• The Disappearance of Shere Hite: revoking one’s own celebrity. In theaters.
• Cypher: the year’s most original movie? Hulu.
• Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy: a movie and its time. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu,YouTube.
• The Killer: interior monologue. Netflix.
• Our Father, The Devil: can revenge extinguish trauma? AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
• Reptile: a neo-noir showcase for Benicio del Toro. Netflix.
• Oppenheimer: creator of a monster controlled by others. Still in theaters.
• The Stones and Brian Jones: casualty of rock. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• Priscilla: icky, then unpleasant. In theaters.

WATCH AT HOME

From my Best Movies of 2023 – so far:

• OPPENHEIMER: creator of a monster controlled by others. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• PAST LIVES: a profound and refreshing romance. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: an epic tale of epic betrayal. AppleTV (subscription), Amazon.
• THE MAN WHO DID NOT WANT TO SEE TITANIC: wow – laughs, thrills, love. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• RETURN TO SEOUL: brilliantly crafted and emotionally gripping. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• BARBIE: a marriage of the intelligent and the silly. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
• FREMONT: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. Amazon, Vudu.
• HANNAH HA HA: what makes for human value and fulfillment? Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.

ON TV

On December 13, Turner Classic Movies will present an overlooked masterwork. Set in England just before the D-Day invasion, The Americanization of Emily (1964) is a biting satire and one of the great anti-war movies. James Garner plays an admiral’s staff officer charged with locating luxury goods and willing Englishwomen for the brass. Julie Andrews plays an English driver who has lost her husband and other male family members in the War. She resists emotional entanglements with other servicemen whose lives may be put at risk, but falls for Garner’s “practicing coward”, a man who is under no illusions about the glory of war and is determined to stay as far from combat as possible.

Unfortunately, Garner’s boss (Melvyn Douglas) has fits of derangement and becomes obsessed with the hope that the first American killed on the beach at D-Day be from the Navy. Accordingly, he orders Garner to lead a suicide mission to land ahead of the D-Day landing, ostensibly to film it. Fellow officer James Coburn must guarantee Garner’s martyrdom.

It’s a brilliant screenplay from Paddy Chayefsky, who won screenwriting Oscars for Marty, The Hospital and Network. Today, Americanization holds up as least as well as its contemporary Dr. Strangelove and much better than Failsafe. Reportedly, both Andrews and Garner have tagged this as their favorite film.

One of the “Three Nameless Broads” bedded by the Coburn character is played by Judy Carne, later of Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In.