Movies for January 2020: Ford v Ferrari and The Irishman

Dean is hosting in January. We will meet on January 8, 2020. The movies to see are:

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.

Director: James Mangold

Writers: Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, Jason Weller

Stars: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal

The Irishman (2019)

A mob hitman recalls his days on the streets of Sao Paulo as a young boy, followed by his astounding transformation into a concert pianist with the help of Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa.

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Steven Zaillian (screenplay), Charles Brandt (book)
Stars: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci

Scores for December 2019 Movies

The Killers (1946) 6.67 / 10
The Good Liar (2019) 7.00 / 10

Films of Merit

• Broadcast News (1987)
• Line of Separation PBS TV series
• Miss Firecracker (1989)
• Motherless Brooklyn (2019)
• Our Man in Havana (1959)
• Pain and Glory 2019)
• Rocketman (2019)
• The Catcher Was A Spy (2018)
• The Crown Series 3
• The Irishman (2019)
• The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
• The Tailor of Panama (2001)
• Watchmen HBO series
• What Lies Beneath (2000)

Movies for December 2019: The Killers and The Good Liar

Hugh is hosting in December and the movies to see are:

The Killers (1946)

Hit men kill an unresisting victim, and investigator Reardon uncovers his past involvement with beautiful, deadly Kitty Collins.

Director: Robert Siodmak
Writers: Anthony Veiller (screenplay), Ernest Hemingway (from the story by)
Stars: Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien 

The Good Liar (2019)

Career con artist Roy Courtnay can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do widow Betty McLeish online. As Betty opens her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life.

Director: Bill Condon

Writers: Jeffrey Hatcher, Nicholas Searle (novel)

Stars: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, Russell Tovey

Scores for November 2019 Movies

Judy (2019)  6.00 / 10

Romeo and Juliet (1968)  7.80 / 10

Films of Merit

• Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
• Carmine Street Guitars (2018)
• Catherine the Great (TV series)
• Echo in the Canyon (2018)
• Harriet (2019)
• Inspector Lewis (TV series)
• Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019)
• Line of Separation (TV series)
• Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins (2019)
• Rotten (TV series)
• Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
• The King (2019)
• The Kominsky Method (TV series)
• The Laundromat (2019)

Movies for November 2019: Judy and Romeo and Juliet

Bill G is hosting in November and the movies to see are:

Judy (2019)

Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts.

Director: Rupert Goold

Writers: Tom Edge (screenplay by), Peter Quilter (based on the stageplay "End of the Rainbow" by)

Stars: Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock

Romeo and Juliet (1968)

hen two young members of feuding families meet, forbidden love ensues.

Director: Franco Zeffirelli

Writers: Franco Brusati, Masolino D'Amico, Franco Zeffirelli, from an idea by Billy "Bud" Shakespeare

Stars: Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, John McEnery

Scores for October 2019 Movies

On the Basis of Sex (2018)  6.14 / 10

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)  7.43 / 10

Films of Merit

• Country Music, Ken Burns Documentary, PBS
• Downton Abby, In theaters
• Herren Veje, Netflix series
• Hustler, in theaters
• Inside Bill’s Brain, Netflix
• Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, In Theaters
• Maiden, Documentary in theaters
• Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, current in theaters
• The Exception, Netflix

Movies for October 2019: The Peanut Butter Falcon and On the Basis of Sex

Carl is hosting in October and the movies to see are:

On the Basis of Sex (2018)

The true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights, and the early cases of a historic career that lead to her nomination and confirmation as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice.

Director: Mimi Leder
Writer: Daniel Stiepleman
Stars: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

 Zak runs away from his care home to make his dream of becoming a wrestler come true.

Directors: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz 

Writers: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz 

Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Zack Gottsagen

Scores for September 2019 Films

The Farewell (2019)  6.87 / 10
Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood (2019)  6.89 / 10

Films of Merit

• Apollo 13
• Carnival Row (TV series)
• Chernobyl (TV series)
• Days of Heaven
• Fraser (TV series)
• Good Omens (TV series)
• Mind Hunter
• Night Train to Munich 
• Ozark (TV series)
• The Art of Racing In The Rain
• Wild Country
• Yesterday 

Movies for September 2019: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and The Farewell

Steve is hosting in September. We are moving the meeting back one week to Wednesday, September 11th.

We will have a special guest: Location Manager Doug Hobart

The movies to see are:

The Farewell (2019)

A Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.

Director: Lulu Wang

Writer: Lulu Wang

Stars: Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin 

Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood (2019)

A faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Writer: Quentin Tarantino

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie

Scores for August 2019 Films

Laura (1944) 6.28 / 10
Inherit the Wind (1960) 8.00 / 10

Films of Merit

• All About Eve
• Grantchester (TV series) 
• Herrens Beje (TV series) 
• Kind Hearts and Coronets
• The 2001 Ending Explained
• The Biggest Little Farm
• The Farewell
• The Great Hack
• The Last of the Czars (TV series) 
• The Public

Movies for August 2019: Inherit The Wind and Laura

Don is hosting in August and the movies to see are:

Inherit the Wind (1960)

Based on a real-life case in 1925, two great lawyers argue the case for and against a science teacher accused of the crime of teaching evolution.

Director: Stanley Kramer
Writers: Nedrick Young, Harold Jacob Smith, Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee
Stars: Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly

Laura (1944)

A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating.

Director: Otto Preminger
Writers: Vera Caspary, Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, Elizabeth Reinhardt, Ring Lardner Jr.
Stars: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price

Scores for July 2019 Films

Eighth Grade (2018)  5.78 / 10
Cyrus (2010)  6.22 / 10

Films of Merit

• Casablanca
• Celia
• Chernobyl
• Murder of Crows
• Ozark
• Pavarotti
• The Last Czars
• Yesterday

Movies for July 2019: Cyrus and Eighth Grade

Joe is hosting in July, and because of the holiday, we will meet on Wednesday, July 10th.

The movies to see are:

Cyrus (2010)

John and Molly, a divorced middle aged man and a single mother meet at a friends party and start up a small relationship, all John has to do now is meet Molly's son...

Directors: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
Writers: Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass
Stars: John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, Jonah Hill

Eighth Grade (2018)

 An introverted teenage girl tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before leaving to start high school.

Director: Bo Burnham

Writer: Bo Burnham

Stars: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson

Scores for June 2019 Movies

Seven Days in May (1964)  7.33 / 10
A Face in the Crowd (1957)  6.22 / 10

Films of Merit

• All in the Family and The Jeffersons live enactments (TV specials)
• Avengers: Endgame (2019)
• Chernobyl (TV series)
• Day for Night (1973)
• Dead to Me (TV series)
• Fosse/Verdon (TV series)
• Hannah Arendt (2012)
• Russian Doll (TV series)
• The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
• The Biggest Little Farm (2018)
• Wanda Sykes Live