In this age of syndicated news organizations, it’s unusual to find original content in any newspaper. One thing that impresses me about the Virginia Gazette is that many of its news articles are written by staff writers or local freelance correspondents. This provides ‘value added’ for its subscribers, for whom the Gazette is not their sole daily news source.
In addition to news about local government and the crimes, disasters, and accidents that feed the “if it bleeds, it leads” mentality of many news organizations, local papers provide their readers with items like this article. It provides a brief synopsis of movies playing in local.
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t “gone to the movies” much in recent years. Even before COVID, we didn’t venture out to a movie theater very often. I saw Barbie with a group of friends (we all wore pink) last year, but before that, the most recent movie I saw at the theater was 2019’s Little Women. Again, with a group of friends. Both of these events were fun. Wine followed.
So here’s what's on tap in Williamsburg:
Arthur the King: I had seen this movie title before. I thought it was a movie about King Arthur. Can’t imagine why I thought that. This is apparently a dog movie. It’s about an Ecuadorian stray dog who bonded with a team of Swedish adventure racers in the middle of the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic, a grueling six-day trek, following them to the finish line and eventual back to Sweden with one of the racers. Although the article doesn’t include information about show times, I was able very quickly to find that this is playing at two local theater complexes (there are only two local theater complexes). This sounds quirky and interesting but I don’t imagine I’ll go see it.
Dune: Part Two: Along with most of you (probably), I read Frank Herbert’s Dune when it came out in 1965, and read the sequels that appeared over the next 20 years. I knew about spice and the sandworms. I didn’t go see Dune: Part One, which came out in 2021. No one was going to the movies in 2021. I wouldn’t mind seeing Parts One and Two now, but I don’t know that I’ll actually go to the movie theater to see them. The review in the Gazette article was written for the Chicago Tribune; the Gazette is owned by the Tribune publishing company. The review contains some great lines: “Dune is the sandiest movie since Lawrence of Arabia.” The director “pulled off the big scene . . . in which [the actor] learns to ride the world’s largest pool noodle.” Who wouldn’t want to go see that? This movie is also showing at local theaters.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of this one. I saw the original Ghostbusters in 1984, but I didn’t know that there had been sequels – five of them, in fact. A quick Wikipedia search revealed the plots of the sequels, including the cast of characters. Apparently the most notable members of the original cast – including Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd – also appear in the sequels. This movie also is showing at local theaters. I don’t think I’ll go see this one.
Immaculate: When the description of a movie begins with the words “blood-soaked and candlelit,” it’s hard for me to imagine that I would enjoy it. The review describes it as a “cheeky, freaky, lushly designed horror movie.” Hard pass. The plot involves nuns, unexpected immaculate conceptions, controlling men, and a secret sisterhood who wear crimson shrouds over their faces. This movie is also showing in nearby theaters.
Kung Fu Panda 4: What else do we need to know other than the title of this book? Wikipedia tells me that this is the latest entry in this martial arts comedy media franchise out of Dreamworks. The title character is a giant panda who becomes a kung fu master in a version of ancient China populated anthropomorphic animals, including Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane. I can feel my IQ plummeting as I write this. This is also showing at local theaters, but, really, who cares?
One Life: This movie is set during World War II and focuses on the Czech children who were evacuated to England in the face of encroaching Nazi occupation. The movie follows the story of Sir Nicholas “Nicky” Winton, a British stockbroker, who in 1939 helped to arrange the escape of 669 children from Czechoslovakia. The movie weaves together two periods in Winton’s life, 50 years apart – the late 1930s, when he takes leave from his banking job and goes to Prague, and the late 1980s, when he is living a life of peaceful retirement in England. This is also showing at local theaters. I think I’ll go see this one. And by the way, Holocaust denies can go f**k themselves.
I had actually heard of this story. Here’s a YouTube clip that I came across a couple of years ago. It will make you weep.
And here’s a longer 60 Minutes segment from 2015; Winton died later that year at the age of 106. The cause of his death is identified as “heart failure,” but I don’t think his heart every failed.
Streaming has certainly made it easier for "people of a certain age" to watch movies that they like ... and I'm not sure there's much on your current list that appeals! Let me suggest another option: HD broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera performances. If you have any interest in opera, they are wonderful and, tho more expensive than a regular movie, they are a reasonable price for three+ hours of entertainment of the highest quality.
I've seen this clip before and others similar to it. They always make me weep as well as make me feel that there is perhaps some hope for humanity in the future. I sometimes have to remind myself of that.