‘ what’s your favorite of the five Albert Brooks films I discussed above? And if you aren’t familiar with any of them, then I envy you all the laughs you’ve got to look forward to as you discover his work.’
I am one of those that has never seen any of them, sorry to say. I’ll try to correct that.
‘How are you keeping that darkness in perspective?’
Honestly I turn off the news portion of tv and limit my social media time. When news like RGB hits I just shut it all off. I believe our ‘over’ exposure to ‘everything ‘ going on this country at all times is just too much. No one can properly handle all that information at once and still keep their sanity. Turn it off and focus on the people directly involved in your life. Because, ultimately the only thing I, or most people can do , is vote blue on Nov. 3.
I have not watched any of Brooks’ films...yet. It is on my To Do list.
I finished re-listening to all of the main episodes of ‘80’s All Over this past week. You and Scott did an absolutely amazing job with this. I am sad that you couldn’t finish the decade. However, it is completely understandable why that is. Listening to the show again has been a balm for my soul. (That is no hyperbole.)
Today I started playing Ghosts of Tsushima on the PS4. This is the game that I never knew that I needed. The gameplay, graphics and story are exquisite. If the black and white setting is the Kurosawa mode, then I am calling the color setting the Kinji Fukasaku mode.
I am in the midst of my Dube Chronicles reread. I’m over halfway through God Emperor. Giant mutant sandworm aside, the parallels with our current situation are staggering.
The movie was on cable for basically the entirety of my middle school and high school life, and if I was ever home sick during the school year, my early afternoon would revolve around The Price is Right and then watching Defending Your Life. The cast is amazing. Brooks and Streep, of course, and they have fantastic chemistry together. Torn, Lee Grant, and Buck Henry are so great in their roles, especially Torn as you describe.
I told Noel Murray on twitter the other day that it is the best, most beautifully human film I've ever seen. This idea that even if we die we can still find opportunities to improve ourselves is so optimistic an idea that it fills me with such hope. The way Brooks examines how all of humanity are still fearful animals who haven't evolved much beyond our basic instincts hits home, especially if you take some time to look yourself in the mirror. I don't mind a high concept film when it works, and it works here. I remember that Roger Ebert really liked it, but Gene Siskel was disappointed it was "sweet" instead of the normal acerbic Albert Brooks type of film. As with a great many of their split reviews, I fall more in line with Roger.
Defending Your Life is a sweet film, a good romantic comedy, and it has some important things to say about who we are and what we could be as a species. It's a movie that feels like it was made by someone who thinks he's a cynic but who hopes he can be an idealist.
I have seen all these masterpieces except for “Mother”, but hopefully I’ll find the time to change that. I really came here today to remind everyone that Albert Brooks May have created the greatest trailer ever back in 1979.
"It’s easy to act like it’s all dark right now; it’s valuable to remember that it’s not." Dude, I needed to hear that so much right now. I was thinking some really dark thoughts after the RGB news broke. Working on my next couple of videos for JoBlo is helping me stave off the darkness, fortunately. Oh, and I'll be voting soon, so that'll sure as shit make me feel better about all of this.
And what a coincidence, I saw MODERN ROMANCE last week on Criterion. You and Scott were right, it's such a wonderful movie, and having it sandwiched between REAL LIFE and LOST IN AMERICA was a great watching experience. I just started watching MOTHER, which I haven't seen since I was seven and appreciate even more than ever as a thirty year old living at home. God bless Albert Brooks, I hope he gets the nerve to do one more flick.
I remember very distinctly renting Defending Your Life from Dave's Laser Place on September 12, 2001. It was rather healing. (We also rented Enemy at the Gates, which didn't play as well.)
Defending Your Life was a movie I saw a LOT on HBO. As I got older, I realized how much that movie made an impact on me. It’s now one of my favorite films of all time. Also, for me, this is the definitive Rip Torn performance. Truly iconic.
I've been trying to keep going with more movie watching at home these past few months, and I've caught up with a lot of older titles, but it's undercut with all the disappointments both in the news and in entertainment. I preordered Travis M. Matthews' upcoming biography "Because He's Jeff Goldblum" last month only to find out it's going to miss the November 10 date and come out next May instead because of a printer backlog, as if digital books don't exist. All the 2020 conventions I was going to attend with my long-distance boyfriend in Chicago have been cancelled. I don't know if I'll have a reason to vacation in Las Vegas again because they're not saying when they're reopening any live shows there, in particular Cirque du Soleil's. Why is everyone holding off and not adapting to this new normal?
I've only seen Defending Your Life out of the aforementioned features, and Matthew C says most of what I'd have said so thank you, Matthew, for saving me the typing. :)
He's also had a few shorts air during the first season of Saturday Night Live. No idea if one could find them online or not.
‘ what’s your favorite of the five Albert Brooks films I discussed above? And if you aren’t familiar with any of them, then I envy you all the laughs you’ve got to look forward to as you discover his work.’
I am one of those that has never seen any of them, sorry to say. I’ll try to correct that.
‘How are you keeping that darkness in perspective?’
Honestly I turn off the news portion of tv and limit my social media time. When news like RGB hits I just shut it all off. I believe our ‘over’ exposure to ‘everything ‘ going on this country at all times is just too much. No one can properly handle all that information at once and still keep their sanity. Turn it off and focus on the people directly involved in your life. Because, ultimately the only thing I, or most people can do , is vote blue on Nov. 3.
I have not watched any of Brooks’ films...yet. It is on my To Do list.
I finished re-listening to all of the main episodes of ‘80’s All Over this past week. You and Scott did an absolutely amazing job with this. I am sad that you couldn’t finish the decade. However, it is completely understandable why that is. Listening to the show again has been a balm for my soul. (That is no hyperbole.)
Today I started playing Ghosts of Tsushima on the PS4. This is the game that I never knew that I needed. The gameplay, graphics and story are exquisite. If the black and white setting is the Kurosawa mode, then I am calling the color setting the Kinji Fukasaku mode.
I am in the midst of my Dube Chronicles reread. I’m over halfway through God Emperor. Giant mutant sandworm aside, the parallels with our current situation are staggering.
For me, it's an easy call: Defending Your Life.
The movie was on cable for basically the entirety of my middle school and high school life, and if I was ever home sick during the school year, my early afternoon would revolve around The Price is Right and then watching Defending Your Life. The cast is amazing. Brooks and Streep, of course, and they have fantastic chemistry together. Torn, Lee Grant, and Buck Henry are so great in their roles, especially Torn as you describe.
I told Noel Murray on twitter the other day that it is the best, most beautifully human film I've ever seen. This idea that even if we die we can still find opportunities to improve ourselves is so optimistic an idea that it fills me with such hope. The way Brooks examines how all of humanity are still fearful animals who haven't evolved much beyond our basic instincts hits home, especially if you take some time to look yourself in the mirror. I don't mind a high concept film when it works, and it works here. I remember that Roger Ebert really liked it, but Gene Siskel was disappointed it was "sweet" instead of the normal acerbic Albert Brooks type of film. As with a great many of their split reviews, I fall more in line with Roger.
Defending Your Life is a sweet film, a good romantic comedy, and it has some important things to say about who we are and what we could be as a species. It's a movie that feels like it was made by someone who thinks he's a cynic but who hopes he can be an idealist.
I have seen all these masterpieces except for “Mother”, but hopefully I’ll find the time to change that. I really came here today to remind everyone that Albert Brooks May have created the greatest trailer ever back in 1979.
https://youtu.be/DOAihCRr1y4
"It’s easy to act like it’s all dark right now; it’s valuable to remember that it’s not." Dude, I needed to hear that so much right now. I was thinking some really dark thoughts after the RGB news broke. Working on my next couple of videos for JoBlo is helping me stave off the darkness, fortunately. Oh, and I'll be voting soon, so that'll sure as shit make me feel better about all of this.
And what a coincidence, I saw MODERN ROMANCE last week on Criterion. You and Scott were right, it's such a wonderful movie, and having it sandwiched between REAL LIFE and LOST IN AMERICA was a great watching experience. I just started watching MOTHER, which I haven't seen since I was seven and appreciate even more than ever as a thirty year old living at home. God bless Albert Brooks, I hope he gets the nerve to do one more flick.
I remember very distinctly renting Defending Your Life from Dave's Laser Place on September 12, 2001. It was rather healing. (We also rented Enemy at the Gates, which didn't play as well.)
Defending Your Life was a movie I saw a LOT on HBO. As I got older, I realized how much that movie made an impact on me. It’s now one of my favorite films of all time. Also, for me, this is the definitive Rip Torn performance. Truly iconic.
Lost In America. Top Ten funniest movies I've ever seen. The Gary Marshall scene alone is pitch perfect in every way.
I've been trying to keep going with more movie watching at home these past few months, and I've caught up with a lot of older titles, but it's undercut with all the disappointments both in the news and in entertainment. I preordered Travis M. Matthews' upcoming biography "Because He's Jeff Goldblum" last month only to find out it's going to miss the November 10 date and come out next May instead because of a printer backlog, as if digital books don't exist. All the 2020 conventions I was going to attend with my long-distance boyfriend in Chicago have been cancelled. I don't know if I'll have a reason to vacation in Las Vegas again because they're not saying when they're reopening any live shows there, in particular Cirque du Soleil's. Why is everyone holding off and not adapting to this new normal?
I've only seen Defending Your Life out of the aforementioned features, and Matthew C says most of what I'd have said so thank you, Matthew, for saving me the typing. :)
He's also had a few shorts air during the first season of Saturday Night Live. No idea if one could find them online or not.