Halston

Hey! Wow! I’ve been watching a lot of documentaries lately. While I enjoy learning about something new – a person or event that I knew nothing about – this doc felt a little pokey. There’s plenty of good information, but the stakes and the drama needed a shot in the arm.

Driven

This biopic about John DeLorean feels like it’s missing scenes. Efforts to open the movie on a big, exciting drug bust create confusion. The main character, played by Jason Sudeikis, suffers by not getting a proper introduction. The movie always feels like it’s trying to play catch-up; trying to develop and explain the inner desires of the hero/anti-hero who we never get to know as well as we should. Sets, costumes, and music are all fun and par for the era. And performances are strong. But the movie feels rushed, and the filmmakers seemed unwilling or reluctant to do that, and the pace suffers. Not the Lee Pace. Just the pace. Nevertheless, it’s always interesting to learn a new piece of history. Kudos for that.

Woodstock

Extended version of the famous documentary. Enjoyable to see the old bands again (I peed during The Who, dammit). This film could not have been easy to make. In the rain. In the mud. It’s a moment in time.

Apocalypse Now

Seeing this on the big screen again is always great. But having watched the “old” version 20+ times, the new scenes disrupt the flow. I’m sure it’s interesting for the filmmakers to add scenes, but for the audience, it’s disorienting. The thing is already baked. You can’t unbake a cake. Too, I noticed something I’ve never noticed before: both Willard and Kurtz talk about how much they hate lies – over everything else. Is this the quality they have in common? When Kurtz asks Willard to speak to his son, and tell him the truth about what happened, does he do it?

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

My second viewing. I still think it’s Brad’s movie. Even though it’s a bit unfair to hippies, I appreciate how much it wants to shine a light on a certain kind of middle-class Hollywood worker with recognition and validation. We’re all just one pool party away…

David Crosby: Remember My Name

Kind of a companion piece to Echo in the Canyon, this follows David Crosby as he apologizes to everybody he’s been an asshole to. I learned a lot about The Byrds, and never realized how influential they were, or people believe that they were. It’s a good doc – more about information than artistry.

Spiderman: Far From Home

It’s a pretty lightweight chapter, akin to the Ant-Mans. The stakes are low and the proceedings lack gravitas. Spider-Man is no longer Jesus, like the Raimi movies. But the cast is good and there’s a twist or two. And a nice turn from Jon Favreau (where does he find the time??). And not that it matters, because there’s plenty of room for lots of Spider-Mans, but it aint Spider-Verse. It’s never mind-blowing.