AMC Oscar Movie Showcase 2016 Recap

        

        It’s the Sunday after the AMC Best Picture Showcase. Which means, among other things, I’ll be spending the rest of my day in a cocoon, unable to hear the word “popcorn” without having terrible flashbacks to midnight and some desperate moves to stay awake. Like hitting that fourth bag of popcorn at midnight.

But we had to do what we had to do.

The Marathon my friends and I attended once again was at AMC Georgetown, where the crew goes out of their way to provide a spectacular event, not just a bunch of movies shown back to back. We get a real show, from a red carpet to pictures in front of a marquee, to prizes and a continental breakfast. They even went out of their way this year to remind people to not use their phones, and to kindly shut the hell up while the movies were playing.

As i do with every year, I’m going to give a brief rundown of the movies and my thoughts on them. Keep in mind, I’m not a professional film critic in that… well, the only real qualification I can see for being a film critic is to watch movies and give opinions on them, so many be I am a film critic, in that I give opinions on movies. But keep in mind, these are my opinions, and just that. If you don’t like them, as a man much smarter than me said… well, that’s just like your opinion, man. This year, I’m using a grading scale for my scores.

As another wise man once told me, all grades are subjective. It’s just an easy guide. Also, I grade these a lot harsher, because they’re Oscar movies.

10:30 a.m. - Brooklyn

After getting settled in and shoving a few people out of the way to make sure we got the seats we really wanted, our first movie was Brookyln. It’s about an Irish woman who seeks a better life in America after escaping her Irish town. The movie itself was very well crafted and it it holds the distinction of having the only scene in all the Oscar movies in which the main character has to use the restroom in a bucket on a ship that is being tossed through the waves. If Leo doesn’t win this year, expect to see him do it next year, too.

I liked this film. It’s a sweet love story: Irish girl meets Italian Boy, goes back to her hometown after marrying Irish boy, gets sucked back in. It’s subtly nuanced in the idea that it is our attitude that can make what is around us. Or something like that. Here’s the thing though… Best Picture? Not really. It’s just that in the end, a sweet story. But it doesn’t innovate, or try to tell a story in a bigger picture. It’s a small story, and quite frankly, while it is still probably one of the best films of 2015, I’m wondering why it got picked over a lot of other movies out there.

Professor Bad Shakespeare’s Grade: B.

12:46 p.m. - The Big Short

Fun fact, I won a shirt with “The Big Short” on it after answering  trivia question about Will Ferrell correctly. Take THAT everyone who said that my knowledge of Will Ferrell was useless. 

Anyway, this is the movie about the people that predicted the financial collapse in the early 2000’s. As the movie puts it, “the series of oddballs and losers who figured it out.” Of course no one listened to them. What I really liked about this movie was the lengths it went to get you to care about material that is normally dryer than the toast that Elwood likes to eat in the Blues Brothers movie.

I shouldn’t have had to explain it that much. you should see Blues Brothers, too.

Anyway, it uses some interesting ways to explain how these bad deals work, such as Margot Robbie in a bubble bath (which I’m proposing everything be explained from here on out), Anthony Bourdain making stew, and Selna Gomez losing 10 million dollars at the Blackjack table. This is all done to the audience, breaking the fourth wall, including in other innovative ways, like explaining that this scene didn’t really happen, or it really happened that way. Which was bold, but for a movie with a subject matter that was apparently so boring no one cared bout when it took place, and people STILL aren’t caring about despite the fact that it could happen again, it’s pretty interesting.

Also, screw Babadook and It Follows. THIS is probably the scariest movie of the year. 

Professor Bad Shakespeare’s Grade: A

3:20 p.m. - Room

Whew, boy. I’m about to get attacked.

I didn’t like Room. 

Now, before you bring out the pitchforks and torches, let’s touch on a few things. Adapted from the book, Room tells the story of a young woman and her son who are trapped in a shed. Joy had been kidnapped as a teenager and repeatedly raped by a man only known as Old Nick, eventually resulting in her son who just turned five. 

My opinion of it had nothing to do with the subject matter or the performances. Quite frankly everyone involved in that movie should win some kind of Oscar for performances.

My problem is that it’s the safest possible way that you could play that movie. It was an episode of Law and Order: SVU without the moralizing from the detectives tacked on to the end.

What made Room, the book, so interesting was that it was told through the eyes of Jack, the young son of Joy who is the product of this relationship. The book was darker as it told the story through his eyes, forcing the reader to pick up on extra cues, learning how he views things. Room and Old Nick are just facts of life for him, and the terror and tension comes from this lack for understanding. The outside world, again, is presented through this lack of understanding. But the movie spoon feeds as much of the material as quickly as possible to get to the tense parts. Again, I felt that the performances should be lauded. The movie… just kind of took up space from other, better movies that should have been nominated. 

Professor Bad Shakespeare’s Grade: C+… for the acting.

After Room was dinner. Which was nice, because our group got burgers and let out our best Leonardo DiCaprio jokes because the next movie was…

6:25 p.m. - The Revenant

The movie tells the tale of pure hatred in the face of being mauled by a CGI bear, then someone killing your kid, then having Native Americans attack. Also something about pelts. There was a lot happening in this movie. I’d like to cover it all, but I don’t have the space (maybe I’ll revisit all of these later) But suffice it to say, Leonardio DiCaprio did act his hardest as Hugh Glass, a man betrayed and left for dead after the aforementioned CGI Bear attack. Which was graphic.

Also, if you play dead and the bear starts to walk away, maybe you play dead a little longer and not invite the bear to attack you again. Just a thought.

Professor Bad Shakespeare’s Grade: B

9:30 p.m. - Spotlight

Here’s where the watching gets tough. Not just because this was about a newspaper covering the Priest Abuse scandal that everyone only remembers through jokes and not a real problem, but because it’s getting late and we’re at the halfway point. The movies are good, but fortunately we have a varied list this year… from small town Irish Drama to post Apocalyptic Thriller. 

What was interesting about this movie was in the way it was filmed, I felt that everything was moving forward at all times, which again, isn’t easy with it’s subject matter. Its almost as if a movie like Room thought it could play it safer with the story being told because it was interesting, whereas The Big Short and Spotlight HAD to movie forward in ways that kept people engaged. It forced them to innovate, if forced the actors to work the script in different ways. I liked the risks it took… the way it portrayed the victims, the way it recalled the way people refused to believe this at the time, the subtle adversarial relationship the Cardinal had with the newspaper. It was really well done. So much could have gone wrong with this movie, but this, to me, was the first real contender of the night. 

Professor Bad Shakespeare’s Grade: A

Midnight - Mad Max: Fury Road.

Midnight is my favorite part of the movie marathon. The theater is emptying. they always step it up with something interesting... But there's magic right now. We've been watching films for 14 hours, with another 7 to go. I love movies. Marathons like this are a dream come true for me. People ask... How can you do it. I know it's not an endurance contest, or a great feat. They're referring to how I can sit passive for so long. But it's not passive. It's getting into the film, laughing or gasping with everyone. It's a shared experience, and once a year I get to live out for a full day with my friends and people I see only once a year. I love this. It is my magic.

I’ve analyzed this movie to death in another post. It’s a beautifully constructed film that deserves to be up in this spot, but too many snobs and critics who have long lost their joy refuse to admit it. I’d love to see this win for so many reasons. From the V-8 symbol of the hands, to the use of color and practical effects, to the film that never makes you feel like you’re stopping… a perfect movie that took risks. 

Professor Bad Shakespeare’s Grade: A+

2:25 a.m. - Bridge of Spies.

Spielberg and Hanks. It’s a combination as stable as Charlie Sheen and jokes about how hard Charlie Sheen parties. Sorry, I haven’t gotten much sleep. 

It’s a cold war thriller, based on a true story, about the guy that has to do the job no one else wanted, to defend a captured spy so he could be taken into basically a Kangaroo Court while showing everyone that American Justice is the best Justice. Its a job that no one would take today, because, as the film puts it, “[he was] seen as a traitor by the more ignorant part of the population.” I feel that’s too much these days. But it’s about a brave man doing brave things in the face of all opposition. As we all pointed out… Steve Spielberg knows how to tell a story. He knows how to construct and engage everyone from the first couple of scenes. It’s truly remarkable. 

Professor Bad Shakespeare’s Grade: A

5:10 a.m. - The Martian 

This is the other movie i’ve written about. (And I’ve seen.) I could write further about it, but basically it’s the same: It’s the Anti-Gravity, the movie that was supposed to be groundbreaking about Sandra Bullock being stuck in space. Except this time we get an uplifting story about a man who defies all the odds to survive on Mars, and makes jokes about it. Again, this movie took risks with the storytelling, giving us basically a one-man show of Matt Damon farming space potatoes to live. Worth it to watch him science the shit of of the situation.

Professor Bad Shakespeare’s Grade: A

So, that’s it. 22 hours of movies, endless buckets of popcorn, tons of Leo and bear jokes, and just a great time. What do I think is going to win tonight? I think the movie that the Academy votes for is going to win, which isn’t always the “best.” The Best is a matter of taste and perspective, and even if the Academy votes on 99% of the ballot you have in front of you, the one thing we’ll hear about is the one they got “wrong.” Despite the fact that this is an opinion contest, not a fact contest. 

Which one do I want to win? I’d love to see them give it to Mad Max: Fury Road which took real risks with its filmmaking. No adapted story, a large, sprawling epic wrapped up in a small story, a world built within seconds on the screen, no spoon-feeding to the audience, no reliance on pandering through CGI… When I think movies that deserve it, I think movies like this.

Who do I think it’s going to get it? Hell if I know. I’m just a guy who likes watching movies.

AMC Oscar Movie Showcase... Meet the Bloggers!

Ladies and gentlemen, movie lovers and non-movie lovers who stumbled on this page by searching for Breaking Bad Spoilers... welcome to Bad Shakespeare’s coverage of the AMC Oscar Move Showcase. As I’ve explained all week, Bad Shakespeare and company will be watching all nine Oscar nominated movies in an all day 24 (ish) hour marathon. 26 if we decide to see Identity Theft when the marathon is over.

At this point we’ve entered the theater, scoped out our seats, and snuck in our snacks even though we don’t really have to sneak in our snacks and they really don’t mind since we’ll be sitting in a theater all day. We’ve figured out what movies we’re going to sit through, and which ones we’ll watch with one eye on the screen, one eye on the bathroom.

Now, normally this blog is just lil’ ol’ me... with occasional posts from Erin Garland over from the Island (theislandofmisfittoyseag.blogspot.com... catch island fever with her 100th post, posted today. Then come right back here.) But today we are going to have four other very special reviewers who are going to not only help me review these movies, but will also sing along to Les Miserables, so I’m not so the only one singing. I’m fairly certain I’ll be the only one dressed up as Javert, who is played by 30 Foot Odd Grunts frontman Russell Crowe. (Buckle up, that’s not the only time I’ll be making that joke.)

Let’s take a minute to meet my very special co-blogging guests today.

First up, there’s Bad Shakespeare... loveable Michael, who is your usual blogger. I’ve already seen two movies on this list, Les Miserables and Django Unchained, both of which are spectacular movies in their own right. At this point, you should probably know that I’m torn because I want Argo to be a great movie, but I also can never resist a good Ben Affleck joke. 

Then there’s Marissa. She’s a cat enthusiast who has prepared for this by getting a series of healthy snacks, but is also decked out in her finest Pajama Jeans, making her fashionable and comfortable at the same time. Like Bad Shakespeare, she attended this event last year, and is geared up to watch some good movies, and complain about eating too much popcorn about halfway through the fourth movie.

Jerome is here as well, henceforth known as a Source High Within the Theater, mostly because of his penchant to sit as high as possible when he’s picking out the seats. Jerome has tried to remain as unspoiled by the movies as possible, purposely only seeing bad movies as to not accidentally see one of the movies here. Of the nine movies we’re watching today, he’s most looking forward to Star Trek Into Darkness which isn’t coming out until May.

Kim made cookies. KIM MADE COOKIES! Which means you should count her opinions as double from this point on. Of the five viewers today, Kim has seen the most movies in the marathon, but is excited to watch them again. She’s most excited to watch Les Miserables, and has promised to put on a bucket of popcorn on her head and build a barricade down the middle of the theater if even one person’s cell phone goes off during the show. Depending on how tired she is when this part of the show starts, she may do this anyway. Either way it will be exciting.

Kati is a reviewer wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an enigma, with hot buttered topping and sour patch kids. She has not seen any of these movies, but is looking forward to seeing how long she can make it. She has already vowed to stay as long as she can, but can’t promise she’ll make it all night... fortunately the rest of the group is going to try to get her to stay. However, she will stay longer if perhaps we can win her a movie poster during the trivia contest.

Oh, yeah, there’s a trivia contest.

Make sure you check back for updates. I will post a schedule as soon as I have it.

AMC Oscar Movie Showcase Survival Guide

As mentioned on Wednesday, Bad Shakespeare and company will be attending AMC Theater’s Annual Oscar Movie Showcase. This is a glorious 24 hour movie marathon of every movie nominated for the Oscars. And because I enjoy shameless self promotion, I’ll be live-blogging it.

The real question I have not gone over yet is: How does one survive a 24 hour movie marathon in the theater. Yes, we’ve all had days where we’ve watched a bunch of movies or a bunch of TV shows. But we’ve done that from the comfort of our homes. Need to get something to drink? Hop up and get to the fridge. Bored? Stop the 24 hour marathon and go home. 

No, it takes a special strategy to be able last for a full 24 hours in a movie theater. So... here’s Bad Shakespeare’s 24 hour movie marathon strategy guide!

-Get there early. You are going to be sitting in this place for 24 hours, you do not need to be stuck off on the side of the theater, or behind some person is going to laugh. You want to hit your favorite spot... not too close to the screen, but far away enough from the door that you can hide your booze when you see the manager come in.

-Speaking of booze... an old writing trick I picked up was to sip whiskey during the night to help keep you from going to sleep. Use this, but with whiskey. Don’t drink too much too early. You’re staying up late, you don’t want to go right from being drunk to the hangover, especially if the last show is loud.

-If they show Les Miserables after midnight, singing is going to be fair game. That’s not for all marathons.

-Outside snacks are encouraged. Man cannot live on popcorn alone. But nachos... oh, nachos, we love you.

-Be nice. You’re going to be around a lot of people for a long time.

-Never bring an infant into a movie theater. This really doesn’t have anything to do with this marathon, just a general annoyance. Yeah, you think the baby is going to sleep, but then they’re going to wake up, and we’ll pretend it won’t bother us but then... you know, I’m off topic.

-Under no circumstances should you find yourself behind the counter, firing butter at people while wearing a popcorn helmet. It may seem like a good idea around 2 a.m. It’s not.

-Pay attention to the movie list. There will be one movie you don’t want to see. There’s your nap right there. Yes, you’re there to see all movies so you can make a proper pick for best picture when you watch the Oscars. But we know that no one wants to see L’Amour. Why was that nominated?

-Speaking of 2 a.m, around this time all the Lincoln and Theater jokes are going to be funny for you again. They aren’t really. Please don’t. Just. Don’t. Also, spoilers: he dies. Ok. He dies.

-Bring deodorant. Just. Bring deodorant.

I look forward to you joining us as we comment on these movies! See you tomorrow, starting bright and early!

The Only Marathon I'll Ever Run...

Show of hands, how many people knew that AMC Theaters does an annual Oscar Movie Marathon? How many people knew that a handful does one that lasts 24 hours? Now, how many people are prepared for... BAD SHAKESPEARE’s 24 HOUR OSCAR MOVIE MARATHON LIVEBLOG!

On February 23rd and February 24th, I will be taking part in AMC’s Oscar Movie marathon 24 full hours of all the movies nominated for best picture. I’ll be watching Argo, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Les Miserables, L’Amour, Lincoln, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Zero Dark Thirty, and Silver Linings Playbook. I don’t know the order, and I won’t know until the time of the show, and I promise, a Bad Shakespeare liveblog of all the shows as they happen, right here on Bad Shakespeare. No, not DURING the movies. I’m not going to be “that guy.”

The obvious question, of course, is why? Why do I want to sit in a movie theater for 24 hours? I ask you, why not? Why climb a mountain? Why inventI did it last year and it was a blast beyond blasts. You sit in a theater, get to know some new people. And I’m going to share the experience with all of you. Of course, the ones in the middle may not be AS shared as the others. I’m staying up for 24 hours, I may get fuzzy around midnight.

I have been looking forward to this event for the past year. Last year I arrived about an hour before the first show started, not really sure what to expect. In good time I managed to meet just about everyone around me. The manager running the event was probably one of the best managers that I’ve seen, asking trivia questions, telling us how excited he was that we were there. 

Now, the important thing about a movie marathon is pacing. Yes, the best strategy is to grab that large popcorn and soda... I mean, you free refills, so you’re set for the day. But you can’t eat it all at once, or during every single movie. Remember, you’re pacing yourself. That’s where I had a problem last year: I didn’t bring any extra snacks. You need to fill up on fruit and real food at some point. Man can not live on only popcorn for 24 hours, and plus you want to save those for the later movies. It’s important that you really allow the sugar, salt, and soda carry you to the later hours.

And this goes without saying: layers. You have a bunch of people in the movie theater for 24 hours, it’s going to get WARM. Every once in a while you have to exit the theater, walk around for a little bit, absorb the fresh air. By “Fresh air” I mean “any air where people haven’t been marinating in popcorn butter and sour patch kids for the past  12 hours.” 

What makes this year fantastic is I’m going with some more friends. I honestly can’t wait to show them this experience, also, to get their permission before I use their real names in these posts, or if I use made-up names. Either way, it should be pretty interesting. And I look forward to sharing it with you, my readers! So this is one of my rare, “What’s coming up” posts that I use on days where I don’t really know what else to talk about, and I used up most of my outrage early in the week with that lady that wants to ban the books. So I hope to see you all here, Saturday, as we discuss movies. Lots of them.

To adventure!