New Year at the Movies

Steyn On-line ^ | December 30, 2017 | Mark Steyn

[Twotone]

Happy New Year to you and yours. Here in northern New Hampshire we're in the midst of a big wintry chill - twenty below zero (Fahrenheit), as I write - which may put a bit of frostbite in the first-footing. But, even in balmier locales, we've come to that point on the calendar when film critics advise you to skip New Year's Eve and rent a movie instead. Better yet, rent a New Year movie, for it's a curious fact that almost any picture about December 31st somehow takes on the same depressing, desperate quality as the night itself.

The great exception is the original Ocean's Eleven (1960), in which the Rat Pack amble shambolically but coolly through a plot about a five-casino heist in Vegas. That's a jollier way than most to spend New Year's Eve, and, as readers may recall, I'm especially fond of the scene where Sinatra wears an orange mohair sweater for the purpose of getting a back-rub from some cutie. (Orange was Frank's favourite color.) In fact, on reflection, I'd advise skipping New Year's Eve and the movie rental and buying an orange sweater and getting a massage instead.

But, if finding an orange mohair emporium on New Year's Eve is too difficult, here are some movies for the moment. The classic New Year scene of recent decades belongs to When Harry Met Sally (1989), and again it features Sinatra, if only vocally.

[mylife]

Multi Plexes an Big Screen TV have ruined the movie experience. Iphones too!

It used to be a social occasion to go to Grand Cinema with friends

[mylife]

Go to dinner afterward, heehaw...

[bitt]

p

[BenLurkin]

[a fool in paradise]

At first I thought it was going to be about seeing a movie on New Year’s Eve (day/evening) or New Year’s Day.

Still contemplating seeing Darkest Hour (Churchill in WWII) or The Shape Of Water (or In The Water) (Creature From The Black Lagoon reboot).

[Dr. Ursus]

Darkest Hour was great.

[buffaloguy]

The Greatest Showman is spectaculary entertaining. One the best movies ever.

[hawkaw]

I really enjoyed it too and I am not usually into musicals.

[a fool in paradise]

For something light and rocking that takes place New Year’s Eve, there is Get Crazy, made by the same people who brought you Rock And Roll High School. Get Crazy is now 35 years old!

Unfortunately the film elements have been lost to time and it is unlikely to ever see an official DVD release.

Starring Malcolm McDowell, Lou Reed, Mary Woronov (dancer for The Velvet Underground and Principal Togar from RnRHS), Lee Ving (of Fear), Paul Bartel, Dick Miller, Ed Begley Jr., and Clint Howard (Ron’s brother and also a cast member from RnRHS), John Densmore (of The Doors), and Fabian.

It does crop up on youtube now and then.

Here’s the trailer:
Get Crazy (1983 - fan made trailer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_BYEUBlTBE

Original trailer (silly but not good insight into the film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8thcRBMhoQ

Director Alan Arkush discusses Get Crazy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi1MkuI2Adw

full movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrIRmMNi800

[Fiji Hill]

Darkest Hour was great.

I saw it this afternoon, and I agree. However, to fully appreciate it, you have to have some background knowledge about the period in which it is set, which may be lacking in many of the products of our public schools.

[katykelly]

Bfl

[iowamark]

Yes. The whole 1930-1940 period was a true disaster in the making for our world. We have forgotten what a close call the war was.

[Ciexyz]

I’m binge-watching an old series from the 60’s via Amazon Prime.

[Dalberg-Acton]

If you like tons of over the top, gratuitous violence and mayhem, and much of it from a first person perspective, all committed by a hot Asian chick, don't miss "The Villainess"

From IMDb: Opening with possibly the greatest five minutes of first-person action ever filmed, The Villainess follows in the tradition of recent high-octane Asian action movies like The Raid and Headshot and relentlessly throws exciting set piece after set piece at you as actors and stunt people alike seemingly perform almost superhuman violent theatrics all in the name of entertainment. But The Villainess strings all of these scenes together with a plot that whilst not wholly original, does draw on the revenge genre and presents it all in a stylish way, adding in elements of neo-noir, classic kung-fu and a dark undercurrent of almost horror movie proportions .

She kills more Asians than "Little Boy" and "Fat Boy" in 1945.

[Fiji Hill]

The whole 1930-1940 period was a true disaster in the making for our world. We have forgotten what a close call the war was.

1930-1940--aka the Red Decade

[dfwgator]

She’s a cutie....

I just finished watching a good KDrama, called “Because This Is My First Life”. I really enjoy watching Korean actresses more than their American counterparts, much more talent and range (and yes, hotter).

[dr_lew]

Here on New Year’s Eve eve. I just watched almost all of Buckaroo Banzai. ( Missed the opening. ) I have to admit that I hardly remembered any of it, explicitly. It’s hard to say that it’s “complicated”, since it is so fantastical, but it is much more “elaborate” than I was able to remember. It just rolls on and on.

The question it left me with is, “What will 2018 have that 1984 didn’t have?”