Movies for March 2020: Parasite and Joker

Nic is hosting in March and the movies to see are:

Parasite (2019)

A poor family, the Kims, con their way into becoming the servants of a rich family, the Parks. But their easy life gets complicated when their deception is threatened with exposure.

Director: Bong Joon Ho
Writers: Bong Joon Ho, Jin Won Han
Stars: Kang-ho Song, Sun-kyun Lee, Yeo-jeong Jo

Joker (2019)

In Gotham City, mentally troubled comedian Arthur Fleck is ignored by the cute girls in high school and embarks on a fiesta of violence involving bad hair and troweled-on makeup. His penchant for 80's techno-pop brings him face-to-face with his alter-ego: the Joker.

Director: Todd Phillips

Writers: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson 

Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Caesar Romero, Zazie Beetz

Scores for February 2020 Movies

Jojo Rabbit (2019)  7.89 / 10
1917 (2019)  8.5 / 10

Best Unreviewed Movies of 2019

• Book Smart 
• Echo in the Canyon 
• Harriet 
• Journey's End 
• Knives Out 
• Marriage Story 
• Motherless Brooklyn 
• Pain and Glory
• The Two Popes
• Tolkien 

Other Films of Merit

• The Young Pope (TV series)
• The New Pope (TV series)
• The Somme (documentary)

Movies for February 2020: 1917 and Jojo Rabbit

Joe is hosting in February and the movies to see are:

1917 (2019)

Two young British soldiers during the First World War are given an impossible mission: deliver a message deep in enemy territory that will stop 1,600 men, and one of the soldiers' brothers, from walking straight into a deadly trap.

Director: Sam Mendes
Writers: Sam Mendes, Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Stars: Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

A young boy in Hitler's army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.

Director: Taika Waititi

Writers: Taika Waititi (screenplay), Christine Leunens (novel)

Stars: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson

Scores for January 2020 Movies

Ford v Ferrari (2019)  7.10 / 10
The Irishman (2019)  7.40 / 10

Films of Merit

• 5 to 7 (2014)
• Bonfire of Destiny (TV series)
• City Island (2009)
• Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles (2019)
• Inside Man (2006)
• Knives Out (2019)
• McCarthy: Power Feeds On Fear (American Experience) 
• My Generation (2017)
• Parasite (2019)
• Ray Donovan (TV series)
• The Crown (TV series)
• The Laundromat (2019)
• The Marriage Story (2019)
• The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
• The Two Popes (2019)

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