Ghost Mike's Movie Review Roundup #6: October 2024 · 8:30pm Nov 5th, 2024
That time of month… well, not again, as this is the first time this is monthly, but close enough. Technically, half the roundup is actually films from the tail end of September, but I felt five roundups on the weekly to cover everything in the stockpile then was bordering on overload. Thus, I could justify pushing the last few into the first regular monthly post. But that means the films here, and therefore the fun, has been doubled. Huzzah! [insert Luna emoji]
With a total of nine films, they nonetheless slot into a few key categories. First, following up from the prequels recently, there’s the Star Wars Original Trilogy, one week after the other in a regular multiplex (I actually thought I’d miss Return of the Jedi because of UK PonyCon, but it turned out they were still on during the week, so though that screening was with maybe a dozen other people, I didn’t miss it either). Great to finally check that off the bucket list, and hibernate on Star Wars going forward for a long while.
Now I’ve retreated to just thinking of them as films, this revisit was illuminating. Moving past all the ways the prequels don’t actually line up with the originals as well as George Lucas intended (and all the Special Editions changes – this was in theatres, so sadly, they were present – only serve to draw attention to this, between the 95+% of screentime still wholly practical meshing not at all with most added effects, and the different tonal and storytelling logic to many of the more egregious ones), my experiment to watch them just as films did rather make the viewing experience stand out. A New Hope has all sorts of idiosyncratic bumps from the genre fusion and application of New Hollywood visual technique that make it magnetic even through some rough patches, Empire is less interesting and more conventional but also better-made in every way. And Jedi is… actually not all that well directed or shot, least with the first unit on set and location. The reasons for this are well documented, so I won’t recite them here. But coupled with the rather autopilot nature to the storytelling from condensing two planned films into one, it is shaky at points, though a legendary three-way climax and Luke’s journey being on top form prove the power of going out of your strongest note. Considering I saw them for only €5.95 each (said cinema has recently started branding rereleases as Classic Films), can’t complain.
There’s a few actually-new films here, both of which took three weeks to cross over from the US (gotta capitalise on the Halloween-adjacent school holidays!). Which includes another one of those “Ghost Mike watches a new film in a franchise he’s only had minimal experience with” in Transformers One (the TMNT film last year being a prior instance, though I did watch Transformers Armada as a kid, at least). There’s argument to be made I’m being a little soft on The Wild Robot, an absolute audience darling, but I had just enough hangups that I can’t quite pull the trigger on going above 4 stars, though I do still feel it is an absolute must-see for everyone, whether that be now or down the road on streaming. It is, at least, a worthy continuation for Chris Sanders following Lilo and Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon.
Then there’s the four old films I saw in a one-screen cinema that specialises in that (they do fill out their programming with one current release too). I’d been aware of this place for several years – and though the rest of my family hardly ever goes to the cinema, three of them had all been there once – and finally took the plunge a month ago. This place is actually Ireland’s oldest still-standing cinema: it closed in 2004 off financial difficulties, and reopened in 2017 with an Art Deco look reminiscent of that era, to some Gatsby-esque glory. We’re all so used to the multiplex era that this place being devoted, in decor and service (there’s a cocktail bar upstairs too, along with some upmarket snacks if desired), to the movies being an experience is a bit of a shock to the system. You get armchairs, can put your feet up on stools, have a lamp on a small side table, can have ordered food delivered before or even during the film. There’s couches and even beds to view the film from.
And while all this is reflected in the pricing – €19 for an adult ticket matinee, €21 for weekday or weekend evening – considering regular multiplex tickets are €12 upwards these days, that’s not terrible. This place actually topped a professional list of 50 best cinemas in the UK and Ireland (two other Dublin ones made the list, neither multiplexes) recently for the second year running. And as two of the films I saw pre-midday on the weekend, they availed of Family Flix prices (most multiplexes do a similar thing, tickets at a hefty discount from the regular), being just €10.
Already I can hear folks rolling their eyes at the above paragraph: I know most here barely go to the cinema period, much less for films that aren’t new, opting instead to either watch at home, watch mostly tv series because “they’re better”, or not watch much of anything. Possibly you’re even thinking “What a waste of time and money. I can’t even agree to differ on this.” And, yeah, those are valid points there (though I will note I’m going to new films less and less: of my 21 cinema visits this year, only 6 are new). The cost does make me very selective: both for these and going forward, I’m largely picking flicks I haven’t seen before that I’m fairly certain I’ll like a lot, and which will gain a lot from a cinema viewing enhancing the perception. Especially if it’s outside the weekend Family Flix discount window.
Either way, it’s a whopper four films I started it off with: finally checking out the original ’78 Superman (seeing it the same day as Star Wars provides one hell of a contrast as to how to approach and execute child-friendly escapism made in the New Hollywood era, a very un-escapism era of cinema), the original Planet of the Apes (a film I thought I knew from cultural osmosis, but which really surprised me), seeing a childhood fixture The Hunchback of Notre Dame in a cinema (reinforcing how well made it is, juvenile humour sprinkled throughout be darned, and how on-point the visual style of Disney Animation in the 90’s was – this honestly beats even The Lion King outside of character animation), and completing the trifecta of macabre stop-motion animated films with Corpse Bride (not the phenomenal piece of filmmaking that Nightmare Before Christmas or Coraline are, but plenty unique and enthralling on its own merits).
September and October tend to be a heavy time of year nowadays for cinemas, this boutique one and the regular multiplexes alike, to fill gaps in their programming up with rereleases – it’s approaching the holiday season enough for folks to want to go out to the flicks, but big new releases are slim enough, especially in the fallout of studios changing tack during the pandemic. So attractive rereleases, and thus be going to them, will wind down going forward; I seriously doubt I’ll see nine films in less than a month for a fair while. Hay, December will likely see the list made up more of home viewings (
), what with all the Christmas tv (still a big deal in the UK & Ireland, far more so than in the US these days). So consider this month an anomaly, albeit one with a very high quality bar. 
- Superman (★★★★) – The different tones as this progresses should break it. Yet they're blended wonderfully, and it all captures a deft blend of fun and seriousness that inspires and delights. Knows when to be sly, and when to embrace the material's corny yet sweet charm. September 22nd 2024, boutique cinema.
- Star Wars (★★★★1/2) – Love how rickety and idiosyncratic this is, yet still firing on all cylinders. The postmodern genre fusion and filtering of 70's' troubles into the visuals make this tale of renewed hope much more powerful. An immersive drug of the power of cinema. September 22nd 2024, rewatch, Star Wars Sundays reissue.
- Planet of the Apes (★★★★1/2) – Blown away by how stellar this was. The mix of pointed, wide-reaching satire that still holds up, great acting from the lead apes, immersive masks, plus the unsettling landscapes and score, make it largely transcend the B-movie bones. September 27th 2024, boutique cinema.
- The Empire Strikes Back (★★★★★) – While not as interesting as Star Wars in all its' cobbled-together nature, it improves on all the flaws there, becoming an Act II with almost no drawbacks. Branches into deeper character interiority without sacrificing for spectacle. September 27th 2024, rewatch, Star Wars Sundays reissue.
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (★★★★1/2) – Juvenile comedy excepted (and it honestly barely dents the mood and atmosphere), the Disney treatment works phenomenally here for such adult material. So sophisticated and complex, with fabulous dual-layering for kids and adults. September 28th 2024, rewatch, boutique cinema.
- Return of the Jedi (★★★★) – Relative to the focused sophistication of the last two, much of this is sturdy-if-often-wobbly journeyman work. But it remains fully invigorating as spectacle, and the culmination of Luke’s journey being in tip-top form counts for a lot. October 8th 2024, rewatch, Star Wars Sundays reissue.
- Transformers One (★★★) – Predictable, unambitious, and never quite escapes broader concerns in setting up the franchise status quo. Still, as kids' action-adventure animated product, little to be embarrassed about, and it rather benefits from an all-robot world and look. October 11th 2022.
- Corpse Bride (★★★★) – Past the wonderful visuals, little is exemplary here. But in making this a sweet-yet-sad tale of love lost and found, it stands out from its macabre stop-motion brethren. Best approached as an archetypal fairy tale. Fine songs, solid voice acting. October 19th 2024, boutique cinema.
- The Wild Robot (★★★★) – I can easily enough see the masterpiece this could be that the really good film we got is a little frustrating. But even the frantic dialogue and punted dark aspects don’t take away from the impeccable work of art, and not just in visuals either.. October 19th 2024.
im happy to see u enjoyed the wild robot, even if it wasnt perfect in ur eyes! id seen some stuff abt transformers one here and there, but im glad between the two of them i chose the wild robot (i also did not realize movie tickets were so expensive hfkfkdjslnf)
and i definitely need to see the star wars movies some day, it feels criminal to not have seen them at this point in my life 😅 you give em a great rating so im sure theyd b a fun watch!
Sounds like a lovely little cinema! Honestly, the difference it can make seeing movies in places that treat them like a proper experience is crazy. Even aside from the more comfortable setting, the audience at such places is usually more engaged -- and imo the lack of phone screens in your peripheral vision is worth the price of admission alone.
I'm finding the same thing! Especially in the realm of blockbusters. In the past few months, I've caught 2 Star Warses and 2 Mad Maxes -- I can't even remember the last new blockbuster I caught in cinemas. On the other hand, Indie cinemas are still delivering some fantastic new indie releases.
I had a similar experience with the Star Wars rerelease(s), too -- after the past decade completely burning out any and all goodwill I had for the franchise, I was actually surprised to revisit the originals and remember how strange and charming they are. There's a level of craft on display in the costumes alone that adds so much to the atmosphere. It's little surprise that background costumes became so iconic that Disney spun them off into shows of their own -- and just as unsurprising that those shows are utterly devoid of the same attention to detail. (Interestingly, I had the exact opposite experience when revisiting the prequels -- they were actually worse than I remembered, and I remembered them being pretty terrible to begin with).
5813770
Do remember, I’ve been seeing the animation community and the industry hyping this movie all year. It was inescapable, and thus in my position there’s no avoiding going it with expectations that it’ll be a WALL-E or Iron Giant-level masterpiece and challenger to animated cinema. Obviously if one doesn’t have that, but goes in comparatively blind like yourself, adoration is easier.
Oh, I don’t think anyone is preferring Transformers One to Wild Robot. More just a case of TO being the sort of movie that got a lot of “yeah, it was good” responses, but not much better; it’s solid, but unspectacular on the whole. Nothing that’ll stick. Easy to get swept up in if one is willing, I suppose.
Average multiplex tickets here (you know, the big chains, very impersonal) are typically €12-14, depending on venue, day and time of day. One of my locals used to have them at €8.80 for matinee weekends, and that was my go-to for years, but they recently raised it to the norm.
But as mentioned above, with the right tricks (and not buying cinema snacks
) one saves a lot. Do remember I have very few RL friends who share my interests in movies and the specific movies I see, so I often go alone. Possibly I’d enjoy watching at home more if there were people to do it with: that boosts it at the cinema too, but it’s not a game-changer.
As a former franchise fan, I say steer clear of everything past the original trilogy (yes, even though I generally sort-of like the prequels). But the original trilogy is honestly really fantastic as escapist, involving cinema, and it’s totally easy to see why the world went nuts for it back in the 70’s and 80’s. Honestly, dear, if you can just find a window of time and/or some viewing companion(s), you’ll dig them. They’re also barely science fiction all, more space fantasy, so none of that hard-edged barrier applies here.
5813772
The funny thing is, of the five times I’ve been to the Stella (this place), three were kids’ matinee screenings with 50-80 people (it’s a 215-seater, though only 150 without the balcony that isn’t used for all screenings), one a weekday showing with maybe 20 people, and one a weekend with a decent crowd. I haven’t yet been to a basically-sold-out screening, though that happens all the time. In fact, whatever current new release they have playing typically is basically full despite people having the option to see it elsewhere for €7-odd less. That’s the power of this place, or the loyalty of its patrons. So I’m curious to go to a nearly-full screening.
I should say that in Irish cinemas, there’s far less talking, loud snacks and people on phones than in America. Still, this place has none of that, barely even from the kids, as the people are there to actually see cinema, not out of obligation.
And most of those six are animated releases that, I confess, I do have some personal obligation to see or my regular viewing companions are gung-ho on. Take those out, and the only other ones this year were Dune Part Two and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Which I did both like quite a bit!
I haven’t done much in terms of indie cinema lately (not nothing, just not much), though that’s more for stuff that doesn’t benefit hugely from a big screen being more likely for me to be okay with catching later. Still, it’s always case sensitive.
Hope being such a scrappy film especially really charmed me this time through, and even with their greater, fussier polish, it’s still an element Empire and Jedi have in spades, in the way only films made outside of Hollywood can (which these all were – Fox basically funded a school vacation indie the first time, and Lucas self-financed the other two). Honestly, it’s the smaller, weirder touches that make many of our favourite films, the moments where it feels like the filmmakers got away with something.
Eh, I won’t argue against that. On my rewatch of them (covered here), they ranged from good to weak for me, but all below the originals. I did grow up with them, so I won’t totally deny there might still be some nostalgia talking. But given how much I found this chronological rewatch highlighted how the originals don’t line up with the prequels at all, either in story/continuity or in tone/sensibilities, I can easily enough put myself in the same mindset of enjoying the originals in the context of their time now, without all the later worldbuilding, EU material and baggage.
5813803
I've always felt very relieved that UK cinema etiquette is generally more polite than American seems to be. But recently, I fear it's started to sneak over, at least to some cinemas in Scotland -- particularly bad was my (first) viewing of Across The Spiderverse, where the back row talked through the entire thing. I've tried to avoid Cineworld if I can ever since.
...You know, I'd completely forgotten about Dune: Part Two. That'll be the most recent big movie I saw for sure -- a very impressive movie, and certainly cleaner than the Lynch version. Though, per your comment that
I for sure feel that the Lynch version has more soul. Certainly, it riffs on the material in a way that Villeneuve's version wouldn't dare to.
With indies, for me I'm feeling more and more like the cinema is the place to see them, even if they don't necessarily benefit from the big-screen experience in the way that, say, Dune does. Two of the best films I've seen this year were only in cinemas a short time, had surprisingly little word of mouth, even less marketing, and I caught both basically on a whim. The Beast is too strange, too idiosyncratic, and very possibly too French for any wide interest, and my screening of A Different Man had literally about 3 people in it -- on opening night. Even if they do turn up on streaming somewhere, an algorithm isn't going to favour them. Without my local indie, I'd probably have seen neither!
I actually hadn't heard that! It explains a lot about the stark difference between the original trilogy (and even the prequels) vs disney's output (which, aside from a few outliers, has generally felt very slick, glossy, and utterly uninspired). There's genuinely more creativity in A New Hope's cantina than all 6 hours of Kenobi.