Happy New Year guys! Just like last year, and the two years before it, this year I'll be joining Wandering Through the Shelves' weekly series Thursday Movie Picks, which consists in picking three to five movies —TV series the last Thursday of each month— to fit the week's theme. This week we are picking films that have a place in their title. I hope you like my theme within theme!
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Dr. Henry Jones Senior (Sean Connery) goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail. An art collector (Julian Glover) offers Indy (Harrison Ford) to continue his father's search, he accepts as he wants to find his father and has to stop the Nazis in the process. I wasn't a fan of the original Indiana Jones, but I loved this one. It's easily my favourite of the franchise and Sean Connery is a wonderful Jones Senior.
Nebraska (2013)
Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) is an old alcoholic who is convinced he has won a million dollar magazine sweepstakes and he wants to go to Lincoln, Nebraska, to collect it. His son David (Will Forte) agrees to drive him. This film is one of the most honest and brutal portraits of life that deals with themes such as ageing and greed.
Sweet Virginia (2017)
A man (Christopher Abbott) walks into a bar and kills three people, shaking the entire community of a small town in Alaska. Turns out he's a hitman and, waiting to cash the payment, he befriends Sam (Jon Bernthal), a former rodeo champ who now owns a motel. This bromance is doomed to fail though as Sam is romantically involved with Bernadette (Rosemarie DeWitt), the widow of one of the victims. This is such a gripping and compelling thriller! I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it already.
I like all three of your picks! Nebraska surprised me, I didn't think I was going to enjoy that at all.
ReplyDeleteSame here. I only watched it for the Best Picture nominee and I was sure it'd bore me to death but I loved it.
DeleteOoh I've never heard of Sweet Virginia but it sounds like a must watch!
ReplyDeleteIt is, especially if you love Jon.
DeleteHey, we share a pick in Nebraska. I have Sweet Virginia in my never-ending DVR list as I hope to see that.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to see Sweet Virginia soon because it's great.
DeleteLove that you were able to work in a personal name into the theme and I like the theme within the theme you chose!
ReplyDeleteLove this Indy film as I did the first, the second not so much, and agree that Sean Connery adds lots of flavor to the film.
I keep meaning to watch Nebraska and then it slips my mind.
Sweet Virginia is new to me but it's the second time I've seen it mentioned today so I'll have to check it out.
I also did a theme within the theme, with it so broad you almost had to!
Shanghai Express (1932)- In Peking, China, during a civil war, British Capt. Donald Harvey (Clive Brook) meets his old flame Magdalen (Marlene Dietrich) and learns with dismay that she has become a prostitute known as Shanghai Lily. Both are traveling to Shanghai via train, and while they grow reacquainted, they remain unaware that they are traveling with spy and rebel army leader Henry Chang (Warner Oland). On Chang's orders, his forces attack the train, terrorize the passengers and hold Donald hostage. Full of atmospheric cinematography and amazing costumes with both Dietrich and Anna May Wong extraordinary.
The Shanghai Gesture (1941)-Weird hothouse drama about gambling house/brothel boss Mother Gin Sling (Ona Munson)-originally Mother Goddamn in the stage play this was based on-who out of spite degrades her British ex-lover's (Walter Huston) daughter (Gene Tierney). Last completed American film of famously difficult and exorbitant director Erich Von Stroheim.
The Shanghai Story (1954)-When a police raid in search of a Communist spy strands all westerners within a hotel in post-WW2 Shanghai disillusioned American Dr. Dan Maynard (Edmond O'Brien) initially clashes the Tangier-born Rita King (Ruth Roman). But they are drawn together as Rita attempts to use her connection to new police chief, Colonel Zorek (Marvin Miller) to outwit their interrogators and armed guards to help their group flee to safety. Standard adventure is boosted by the strength of the performances of its two lead performers.
The Lady from Shanghai is the only I've seen that would fit, but I love your theme and your picks sound worth watching.
DeleteI considered The Lady from Shanghai which though flawed is an interesting undertaking by Welles but I held to three. It's certainly the best of what I left off....the others were Shanghai Noon, which I thought ridiculous, and the disaster that is the Sean Penn/Madonna costarrer-Shanghai Surprise.
DeleteClever choice using an Indiana Jones. And it's a good one. Nebraska is also excellent and heartfelt, to boot. Haven't seen Sweet Virginia.
ReplyDeleteI needed a third movie and I was like, which movie I love has the name of a state on the title?, and it popped into my head immediately.
DeleteLove Nebraska which is a quirky and well acted film...June Squid is brilliant as the wife. I’m with you about Indian Jones and this one is my favourite as well. I don’t know the last film but I now want to see it
ReplyDeleteYAY more love for Nebraska!
DeleteI haven't seen Nebraska.. hmm, I don't know why.
ReplyDeleteHaven't heard of Sweet Virginia. I have yet to see Nebraska because I too think it could possibly bore me.
ReplyDeleteYou know, that was my fear too with Nebraska but it was the opposite of boring :)
Delete