Book Club

Book Club (2018)

Directed by Bill Holderman

Screenplay by Bill Holderman & Erin Simms

Stars: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Don Johnson, Craig T. Nelson, Ed Begley Jr., Richard Dreyfuss, Wallace Shawn, Alicia Silverstone and Katie Aselton

After the mood that I was in, I wanted to watch a comedy. Something that would make me laugh out loud. I found it in this movie. 

Four lifelong friends, Diane (Keaton), Vivian (Fonda), Sharon (Bergen) and Carol (Steenburgen) continues their traditional monthly book club with Vivian decides to let them read 'Fifty Shades of Grey.' The movie follows their adventures and misadventures of finding love and happiness.

When you have four fabulous women in the center of a movie-- regardless of how ridiculous the situations or the dialogue will be-- I will love it.

There were some genuine laughs here. The strongest story line here in between the romance of Diane and Mitchell (Garcia), the handsome pilot that can afford a mansion in Sedona with a private hangar. Diane's daughters were being very overprotective bordering on being full blown assholes.

The realistic story line is the one with Carol trying to find that spark with her husband, Bruce (Nelson). Those moments felt real and authentic.

Rating: 8/10

B.A.D. Movie of the Week: Barbarella

Barbarella (1968)

Directed by Roger Vadim

Screenplay by Terry Southern and Roger Vadim

Based on the comic book series by Jean-Claude Forest

Stars: Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Milo O'Shea, Anita Pallenberg, David Hemmings, Ugo Tognazzi, Marcel Marceau, and Claude Dauphin

This movie has been a cult classic since its debut. I wanted to check out what the fuss was all about. This movie cost between $4 to 9 million dollars to make. How? Where did it go?

In the very distant future, the astronaut Barbarella (Fonda) is contacted by the leader of Earth (Dauphin) to go find a person named Durand-Durand. Barbarella's mission takes a lot of bumps in her intergalactic journey.

First thing, I want to point out is that this movie is rated PG. Holy shit. In the opening credits of the movie, you see Barbarella's tits and ass. Barbarella answers the call of the leader of Earth buck naked. What? Tits were scattered throughout the movie. I was gobsmacked when I learned that. The comic books series was supposed to basically softcore porn. It was certainly that.

Where did the budget go for this movie? Barbarella's hair? Her dozen costume changes? The amount of plastic structures in the film? The green screen? The projections of "space matter?"

I get the appeal of this movie. It's a woman that is damsel in distress that needs a man to help her and then she has sex with them. I get it. I wonder if the actors knew what movie they were in. Seeing the acting made me question that, and the horrendous wigs.

Rating: 3/10