Movies To Be Thankful For
Speaker 1: 00:00 Since this is the month for giving. Thanks. Our midday movie critics have come up with films and shows that they are thankful for. Joining us are KPBS, cinema junkie, Beth Armando and movie waters. Yazdi Nevada. Welcome to you both. Thank you. Thank you. Now I know that you were both big movie fans and it must be difficult to limit yourself to just a few titles, but we're going to limit your choices to just three things. An old time movie. You're thankful for during this pandemic, a new movie and a binge-worthy series. So let's start with the old movie and Beth, what's an old movie. You are grateful for. Speaker 2: 00:39 Well, during this pandemic, Sean Connery recently died and I grew up loving his bond movies, but as I got older and saw more of his films, I began to appreciate him as an actor in films like the Hill and the man who would be King. But the film that just brought a swell of emotions during this time was Richard Lester's, Robin and Maryanne. It's a beautiful bittersweet, often funny film about these legendary characters late in life. It was made in 1976. So the first time I saw it, I was a teenager and I remember it made me cry, but seeing it again now at 60, it's really like making me face my own mortality and reflect on my life. So it was really a, a wonderful experience to have right now. Speaker 1: 01:20 Huh? Yeah, no, Yazdi your older film to be thankful for is a Japanese film that you say brings you joy and keeps you sane, which is important at this time. Speaker 3: 01:32 Yes. Uh, my favorite, uh, one of my favorite films of all times is still walking a movie by Hirokazu creator. The movie came out in 2008, and it's about a family in a little town in Japan, which comes together for an annual ritual Durham to remember the son who died, um, a few years ago. And in many ways it belongs to the John of Thanksgiving movies where families get together and secrets get revealed and so forth. But I really liked the movies of Korea because as a filmmaker, he refuses to make anyone a bad guy in his movies. And in this film to every single person in the family has good intentions, but cannot help being who they inherently are. And that's where the conflict comes from. It's a beautiful film that I keep going back to again and again, there's something deeply universal about it and it's like a self, uh, in, in our current time. Speaker 1: 02:29 Well thank you for that recommendation. Yes. Now, Beth, you are a fan of horror movies, of course. So I'm not surprised that you're tuning into a film that is in this genre to be thankful for. And that's his house, which is streaming on Netflix. Here's a clip from the trailer. Speaker 4: 02:48 I saw something in the dark, let them send us back. Oh, quickly you forget everything we went through to get to Speaker 2: 03:08 Amazing sound effects. What appealed to you about this movie called his house? Well, I always like to highlight smaller, lesser known films because I'm so thankful for fresh cinematic voices that reveal new perspectives. His house is the debut feature of a British director Remy weeks. And it focuses on a refugee couple from South Sudan who come to England and get asylum. They're given a house, but the thing is, they're not supposed to leave it. And the house is kind of haunted and they bring their own ghosts from their past. So the film recalls last year's Atlantics, which also dealt with African refugees and ghosts. And what's refreshing about both those films is how African culture and folklore give a different flavor to the supernatural elements and weeks create some stunning and haunting imagery and mix his social commentary with the horror. The film also has two rising stars in one may Masako and xAPI does a roux and he's in the show gangs of New York and she is in Lovecraft country. And it's just a remarkable film and really just a wonderful take on the supernatural that is fresh. Okay. And yesterday you were picked for current movies coming up, uh, is sound of metal, which will start streaming free on Amazon prime in December. Here's a clip from that trailer featuring re Ahmed as a drummer, losing his hair. Speaker 4: 04:35 Your hearing is deteriorating rapidly. We'll come back to then Lou and just keep going. Okay. Now let's see what it's like. Okay. I'm going to be like a click track. You complain to me. I tend to hear you. Do you understand me? Yes. Do you, what made you pick this film? Speaker 3: 05:07 What I really like about this film is that it puts you in the shoes of this person going through what can possibly be, um, one of the first worst events in a person's life, uh, in this particular case, it's about a person who is told that, um, he's going to be losing his hearing in a matter of days. And, um, you know, with the use of exceptional sound design, you your, what he's hearing or rather you start losing, um, the audio perception that he's starting to lose. And for me, this is a definition of a horror movie in that if we were to find out that any one of our faculties, particularly one which define us, he happens to be a metal drummer. That's who he is. Um, if you suddenly were to lose that, how do you deal with that? And on the, you know, on the surface, it's about, you know, the post-traumatic stress, you know, that you have to, you have to manage, but, you know, we often hear of people who wake up in an accident, having lost a limb or, you know, Beethoven, famously lost yearning in the last couple of years of his life. Speaker 3: 06:15 How do you move on and how do you get past your own rage and kind of find a new normal, and this movie treats its main character plays chair, uh, played your virus, Ahmed in a exceptional performance, um, you know, plays it with a lot of honesty. And, um, I just liked how human the foam is. Speaker 1: 06:36 And as someone who loves radio, I appreciate how important hearing is. Yes. So as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, we're being urged to stay home. And many of us find that the best thing to do has been news on a show. So Yazdi, you are grateful for a show that you feel is just what we need in our current troubled times. And that's shit's Creek on Netflix. Speaker 3: 06:58 Yes. So shit's grief, uh, swept through the Emmys earlier this year and hardly needs more recognition, but I'm still recommending Schitt's Creek, particularly because the last and final season of the show has dropped on Netflix. Now, and this, the show started as a very silly inane, almost one joke, um, kind of a story about a Kardashian like family, which loses all their wealth and status and is forced to live in a really small town. And it started two dimensional. And over the last six seasons, it's been very stealthily, adding more and more depth to each of these characters so that now there are fully, fully well-rounded and you know them and love them for who they are for builds and all. And again, this is a show which, you know, through its progression has managed to bring a lot of humanity to what would have been otherwise a very tired show. So I was so grateful for, uh, during this pandemic and I was saving every episode and rationing it, um, like good food Speaker 1: 08:04 And Beth, the binge-worthy show that you're thankful for also offers us some humors from escapism as well as more ghosts. And it's the British show truth seekers on Amazon prime. Speaker 4: 08:15 Hello, chief seekers. You receiving me. Hey. Yeah. Why don't you record a quick intro to compare before we go live rolling. Call it action. Uh, welcome Tracy. His guns. Robin's here to take his channel. We're about to go live to the former [inaudible] of the criminally insane. Speaker 1: 08:45 Yes, the stars and was co-created by Simon Pegg and Nick frost of Shaun of the dead and hot fuzz. And I love those guys, and this is a comedy about part time paranormal investigators. Speaker 2: 08:56 Each episode is an easy to digest, 30 minutes, and there are great supporting stars in Malcolm McDowell and Kelly MacDonald. It's funny, quirky, sweet natured, and a perfect anecdote to any quarantine anxiety you might have. Speaker 1: 09:11 Well, well thank you so much as always we're, we're grateful to the two of you for the tips that you bring us for. What's worth watching this holiday season. So thank you so much. KPBS, cinema junkie, Beth commando and movie wallers film critic. Yazdi Pataskala. Thank you both. Thank you. Thank you.
