Welcome back to Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where you share three movies to fit the theme of the week each Thursday.
Like I mentioned in my 2016 in Review post, a lot of actors and actresses have left us in the past year, and as suggested by Birgit, we are today picking films featuring them. It has been snowing a lot here so at first I decided to go with three movies with snow. Then I realised that the scene I was thinking about was in the first Star Trek, not the one I picked, so screw that.
Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban (2004)
Alan Rickman as Severus Snape
Harry Potter's life is in danger again as convicted murderer Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban Prison and everyone believes he's after Harry to finish what Voldemort ordered him 13 years earlier, kill him. This film is truly amazing, and my personal favourite because for me it's the first film that really captured the magic of the book.
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)
Anton Yelchin as Anton ChekovOn their way back home, the crew of the Enterprise is interrupted by a new threat, that of an unstoppable one-man terror cell. Not the best one of the new trilogy, and the script is kinda weak but it still is a quite a solid entry. Also Benedict Cumberbatch is the villain so it's definitely worth watching.
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia3 years after the destruction of the Death Star, the Imperial Walkers assault the Rebel base, so Leia, Han, Chewbacca and C-3PO escape in the Millennium Falcon, while Luke follow Kenobi's command, and starts his Jedi training. Star Wars just can't get better than this one. It is spectacular from start to finish, we hear the Imperial March for the first time and we find out the truth about Luke's father.
We picked the same three actors, though two films were different. I chose Like Crazy for Anton and Snow Cake for Alan.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to miss these actors so much. I still do.
I would have picked Like Crazy if I hadn't forgotten about it.
DeleteWell pants, I've got an out of date TMP schedule! Love all of your picks, if I was writing for the right theme this week I would have picked these :)
ReplyDeleteHaha I noticed! I loved your underdog picks though.
DeleteGood choices for these actors. Alan Rickman is a very popular choice today-he's one of mine too. What's interesting is though so many chose him everyone has selected a different film of his. I had trouble limiting to three, we lost so many, and ended up going with my top four...including Carrie's mom.
ReplyDeleteThis Happy Feeling (1958)-Debbie Reynolds-When her boss makes a pass at a party in the Connecticut countryside New Yorker Janet Blake (Debbie) dashes into the rain just as Bill Tremaine (John Saxon) is passing and offers a ride to the subway. When she misconstrues a comment Bill makes as a come-on she jumps out and makes her way to the nearest house which belongs to retired star Preston “Mitch” Mitchell (Curt Jurgens) which he shares with his live-in housekeeper, the tippling Mrs. Early (a hysterical scene stealing Estelle Winwood). Stuck and soaked to the skin she stays the night in his guest room but when Mitch’s lady friend, the droll Nita Hollaway (a standout Alexis Smith) stops by in the morning she assumes the worst. Mitch sets her straight and hires Janet as his secretary beginning a charming romantic comedy with Debbie falling for Curt while John falls for her and she being pulled one way and another while Alexis makes caustic remarks from the sidelines. Little known Blake Edwards comedy is a hidden gem and a first-rate showcase for Debbie’s special magic.
Sense and Sensibility (1995)-Alan Rickman- When the Dashwood sisters Elinor and Marianne (Emma Thompson & Kate Winslet) and their mother are forced to move out of their home by their brother’s rotten wife they move to a cottage on their cousin’s estate in the English countryside. There Marianne becomes enamored of the dashing Willoughby (Greg Wise) while the more sedate Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman) pines for her. Meanwhile Elinor yearns for the unavailable Edwards Ferrars (Hugh Grant). There’s so much more in this top flight Jane Austen adaptation directed by Ang Lee but this is a great example of Alan Rickman’s versatility. Best known as the suave but ruthlessly evil Hans Gruber in Die Hard he is the complete opposite here and makes both characters fully formed people.
Me, Natalie (1969)-Patty Duke-Natalie Miller (Patty) is an average looking Brooklyn teen who has a developed a complex from her mother always telling her she’ll be beautiful someday so don’t worry about being plain now. Her traditional father’s no help, he’s bribed a nerdy family friend (Bob Balaban) to marry her so she can be the housewife he thinks is all she should or can be. Encouraged by her jovial Uncle Harold (Martin Balsam) she breaks free. Renting an apartment from the dotty Miss Dennison (Elsa Lanchester) in Greenwich Village she embarks on a sometimes rocky journey of discovery where she finds that being comfortable with herself is more important than how she looks. Somewhat heavy with late 60’s trappings but aside from The Miracle Worker this is Patty Duke’s best big screen performance. Al Pacino makes his screen debut in a short scene at a dance.
Silver Streak (1976)-Gene Wilder-While traveling to his sister’s wedding on the Silver Streak train easy-going George Caldwell (Gene) falls smack dab into murder and intrigue when he becomes smitten with Hilly Burns (Jill Clayburgh) the secretary of seemingly innocuous Professor Schreiner. When he thinks he sees a dead body thrown from the train it’s the start of a wild ride both on and off the train during which he partners up with escapee Grover Muldoon (Richard Pryor) who gets him in and out of one crazy situation after another. Mix of comedy, slapstick, thriller and adventure was the first and best pairing of Wilder and Pryor.
I also wanted to go with Gene Wilder, but went with Anton instead. I would have picked Allen's Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask. I just love his vignette with that cute sheep. I've only seen Singin' in the Rain with Debbie Reynolds and I loved her, so I guess I'll have to check out more of her films.
DeleteExcellent picks all round for these actors.
ReplyDeleteI bet everyone has picked Alan Rickman today but he was such a great actor that every one seems to have chosen a different film of his. Love him as Snape. I have only seen Anton in the Star Trek films and it was very sad to hear of his death. You picked my favourite Star Wars film.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen a lot with Anton either. Only Star Trek and Like Crazy. The Empire Strikes Back is my favourite Star Wars as well.
DeleteI completely agree that Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban was the best Potter. For me it marked the time when the Potter books and film started to get darker. Good picks for the actors who have sadly left us.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteNice picks to remember these wonderful actors by. It's hard to choose a role of Alan's as Severus 'cause he does the character so much justice throughout the franchise. But Prisoner of Azkaban is the best installment. Love Empire and Into Darkness too. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! At first I wanted to go with The Half-Blood Prince, but then I picked the best one which is also the one I've watched the most.
DeleteHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - I've always found that people who love the book but aren't big movie watchers don't like the HPatPoA movie. But people who love movies love HPatPoA. I haven't read any of the books so I just enjoy them as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched the latest Star Trek movie, but I agree Into the Darkness wasn't good, so it looks like it's the worst of the three as I much preferred the first one.
I love the Prisoner of Azkaban book and I love the movie as well. The latest Star Trek is even worse than Into Darkness, I wouldn't watch it if I were you.
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