What to Watch This Weekend: March 27, 2020

At Redbox: 1917

1917 uses impressive camera work and Hollywood magic, booming special effects, and realistic sets to tell an authentic, dramatic war story.  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (Netflix): The Occupant

The Occupant has a stellar performance from its lead, who drives an exciting, different thriller with a strong story and interesting characters.  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (Starz): Once Upon A Time . . . In Hollywood 
Adam Sandler's fantastic return to serious roles is a diamond in the rough!  Uncut Gems is complex, with enough facets to allow its fantastic characters to sparkle brightly.  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (Netflix): Uncorked
Uncorked is a strong, full-bodied movie, with hints of great characters, wonderful strong portrayals a black family in Memphis, and charm and humor.  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (AppleTV+): The Banker
The Banker tells an important, timely story with great charisma between its stars and manages to entertain while educating about complex issues.  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (Netflix): Lu Over The Wall

From Masaaki Yuasa and Science Saru, who brought us the impressive Ride Your Wave, Lu Over the Wall also has a distinctive visual style, wonderful use of colors, and a fun story.  

What to Watch This Weekend: December 13, 2019

In Theaters: Jumanji:The Next Level

Jumanji: The Next Level returns with a new adventure featuring the same great cast, additional characters to meet along the journey, and a commitment to video game tropes that is entertaining and hilarious.   For more information, check out our review!

At Redbox: Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

Once Upon a Time In Hollywood is a visual treat that captures a golden time in Hollywood perfectly, but the long run time and lack of action hampered this Tarantino epic.  However, you can easily deal with this long run time by watching it from the comfort of your own home!  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (HBO): Unfriended: The Dark Web

It's Friday the 13th so we figured we should give you all a horror option.  An interesting film told through an online video call and other computer-based venues, Unfriended: The Dark Web is a little creepy, has a fun cast, and a little intrigue.   

Streaming (HBO): The Long Shot

A very well reviewed box office bomb, the Long Shot is available on HBO streaming.  The movie had a fun story and fantastic chemistry between the two leads Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen.  Go ahead and give it a shot this weekend. 

Streaming (Amazon): The Report

A movie that is already getting some award buzz, the report is a cold, factual movie with a great performance by Adam Driver.  The film is not going to thrill you, but if you want a strong, factual film that delves into important recent historical events, then check this out this weekend.

Deal: 50% off Golden Globe Nominated Movies on FandangoNOW

FandangoNOW has a good deal on some recent movies!  If you enter code GLOBES2020 here, you can get 50% off on select Golden Globe nominee films.  You can redeem the code and use it on multiple qualifying movies through Sunday, 12/15.  You have less than a week to participate, but there are some really good options!  

A full list of qualifying movies is available here, but here is a list of some good deals that are also MoviesAnywhere compatable (meaning that they will port over to your linked accounts):

• Motherless Brooklyn 4K $10
• Missing Link 4K $6
• Parasite 4K $7.50
• Booksmart 4K $6
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 4K $10
• Where'd You Go Bernadette 4K $7.50
• Joker 4K $10
• Ford v Ferrari 4K $10
• Jojo Rabbit 4K $10
• Frozen 2 4K $12.50
• Harriet 4K $7.50
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 4K $7.50

Notable non-MoviesAnywhere Deals (these will ONLY play in FandangoNOW):

• The Farewell 4K $7.50
• Knives Out 4K $10

Thanks to Slickdeals for the original post of this deal. 

Screening: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD w/ Q&A

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD W/

QUENTIN TARANTINO, LEONARDO DICAPRIO, AND BRAD PITT

LIVE IN CONVERSATION

Free Live-Stream Event Exclusively in Theaters

Quentin Tarantino, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt will bring moviegoers across the country a rare insight into the making of their worldwide hit Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood when the three rejoin for a free, live, moderated panel discussion to be livestreamed exclusively to theaters across the country this Saturday, November 2. 

At 3:30 p.m. Eastern time and 12:30 p.m. Pacific time across the country (at most locations; see below), moviegoers will gather for a screening of the film – then, following the screening, the Q&A will be streamed live from Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema in Hollywood.  Tarantino, DiCaprio and Pitt will discuss the production, their reasons for wanting to make the film, and the challenges and triumphs of bringing 1969-era Hollywood to glorious life on the screen.

  

Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age. Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino. Georgia Kacandes, YU Dong and Jeffrey Chan serve as executive producers. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Al Pacino.

Screening Details:

Saturday, November 2nd, 2019

3:30pm

Arclight Bethesda 16

7101 Democracy Blvd

Bethesda, MD 20817

The event will be free for all moviegoers but will require tickets.  Tickets will be distributed only at the theaters showing the event on a first-come, first-served basis.  Moviegoers interested in attending the event should arrive early as tickets will be limited.  The event will be streamed exclusively to theaters and will not be streamed over the internet.

Be sure to Like and Follow Watch or Pass on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and share with your friends!

As always, screenings are first-come, first-served so please arrive early to ensure you get a seat. 

Review: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Release date: July 26, 2019
Running time: 161 minutes
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino's 9th project that takes us to 1969 Hollywood and follows the exploits of fella TV and movie star Rick Dalton, played by Leonard DiCaprio, and his stunt double Cliff Booth, played by Brad Pitt.  The pair try to cope with a rapidly changing Hollywood that they no longer recognize from their glory days.  DiCaprio's character is an emotional mess as he deals with this change, while Pitt's character was cold as ice despite the shifting nature of Hollywood.  

This movie depicts 1969 Hollywood by compiling numerous story lines.  Some lead to danger, some lead to new opportunities, but all have consequences.  As with every Tarantino film, these story lines are filled with cameos from stars, new and old.  You'll see Luke Perry, Margot Robbie, Mike Moh (as Bruce Lee!), Dakota Fanning, and Maya Hawke to name a few.  

When it comes to a Tarantino project you can usually guarantee two things: tons of gore and action shots involving feet.  However, in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, Tarantino breaks from his mold and only includes one of these! Despite the lack of gore, there is some action, but the real draws of the film are the fantastic acting, interesting dialogue, and the film's vibrant score.  

As you would expect from a film set in 1969, One Upon a Time in Hollywood  is filled with 60's and 70's nostalgia from labels, brands, businesses, devices, and my favorite, classic cars.  Just imagine all of the classic Hollywood commercials but with Tarantino's style and a star-studded cast.  Tarantino went all out, including using 35 mm film to really capture the feel of the era.  This authenticity includes film distortion and other 35 mm editing techniques.  It really is amazing to see!  

It’s not all positive in Hollywood’s golden era. This film is a three hour movie and at times it feels like it.  Sometimes it just lacked the ability to keep the audience’s attention.  This is a problem in an almost three hour film and something that is unusual for a Tarantino piece.  It feels like it could have been remedied by some cutting of unnecessarily or tonally abstract scenes in order to shorten the run time.  Additionally, the idealized Hollywood setting sometimes fails to display the harshness of the changing times and downplays the evil nature of the Manson family.  

In all this movie was about three hours long—standard for Tarantino films—but the lack of gore and action many of his other projects have caused it to feel like a three hour film.  If you stay for the ending, though, Tarantino makes up a little for this deficit.  If you are a Tarantino fan, you will likely see this in theaters, but if the prospect of sitting through a three hour film with little action doesn’t sound appealing to you, maybe wait to see it at home.  Once Upon a Time In Hollywood is a visual treat that captures a golden time in Hollywood perfectly, but the long run time and lack of action hamper this Tarantino epic.

Rent it.