Happy August, everyone, and say buh-bye to Summer! We’re in the ‘ber’ month already, which means Summer is pretty much done even though we’ll likely still have warm temps for another month or so here in Minnesota. Even today, we have a touch of Fall with temps in the early 60s F. I love it though, I wish we could stay in the 60s-70s degrees forever!
In terms of movies, this has been a month of catching up with classic films, including a beloved Humphrey Bogart detective movie. I am looking forward to Fall movies, so in case you missed it, I made this list of 15 most anticipated Fall Movies last week 🍁🍂
Anyway, here’s what I watched last month:
NEW MOVIES
(films indicated with * are directed by women)
The Instigators
Girl You Know It’s True
Cirque du Soleil: Without A Net*
I was curious to check out this documentary as my hubby and I saw KÀ Cirque du Soleil at MGM Grand last year. The doc follows the relaunch of The Bellagio’s iconic show, O, over a year after a sudden global pandemic closed it down, The performers and crew had to navigate a sea of uncertainty while striving to hit their top-notch standards ahead of its big reopening night in Las Vegas. With exclusive access, filmmaker Dawn Porter documented the intense ups and downs of this legendary circus as it fought to bounce back from an incredibly difficult time.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
It’s a heartfelt story about a young guy trying to figure out who he really is. He’s a math whiz, able to tackle any equation, but he can’t seem to solve the puzzle of his own life. Everything changes when he crosses paths with an unexpected mentor who helps him see things differently. This script, crafted by newcomers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, snagged them their first Oscar for writing. And honestly, the standout performance has to be Robin Williams as the sensitive and caring therapist.
Didi
Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes*
As I’m not familiar with Elizabeth Taylor’s story, it’s fascinating to learn more about her background and her rise to fame. This documentary dives into a goldmine of 40+ hours of newly found audio interviews to create a close and fascinating look at one of Hollywood’s most famous leading ladies. Her steamy romance with Richard Burton went beyond mere celebrity chatter, as Nanette Burstein’s rich and immersive film reveals, their love story was something truly legendary.
No Hard Feelings
review upcoming
La Chimera*
review upcoming
Babes*
The Idea of You
review upcoming
Beetlejuice (1988)
36 years back, Tim Burton dropped the box office sensation that shaped his career. I finally got around to watching Beetlejuice before the sequel hits theaters this weekend, and I’m really glad I did! It was a blast seeing Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis as a young couple, plus Winona Ryder rocking that goth teen vibe. And Michael Keaton? He totally reminded me of the 25th clone of his character Doug from Multiplicity, haha! The low-budget practical effects are part of the charm!
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
full review
The Critic
review upcoming
I watched another 4 movies #directedbywomen, which brings the tally of the year so far to 47. So 5 more movies until I hit the yearly goal, woo hoo!
In case you missed it, here’s my list of 10 best movies directed by women I saw in the first half of 2024.
TV SERIES
I’ve been watching quite a lot of TV series lately, here are my reviews of the two you I highly recommend:
I watched The Maltese Falcon in preparation for this AMC series Monsieur Spade that just dropped on Netflix, starring Clive Owen as the titular detective, Sam Spade. Stay tuned for my review later this month.
August 2024 MOVIE OF THE MONTH
I usually hesitate to dive into older films that everyone raves about because a lot of them just don’t live up to the expectations. But I’m thrilled to say that Good Will Hunting is truly a gem. The plot, while a bit far-fetched, is heartfelt, engaging and really captures that ‘triumph of the human spirit’ vibe. Robin Williams was simply astounding and deserved the Oscar for his performance. Matt Damon shines in the lead role, and he’s backed by a fantastic supporting cast, including Stellan Skarsgård and Minnie Driver.
I read that Rob Reiner helped shape the script by Damon and Ben Affleck, encouraging them to ditch the thriller elements and focus on the dynamic between Will and his therapist. The outcome is this touching relationship drama that still hits home today.
So what did you see in August, and which one(s) are your favorites?
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FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
Good Will Hunting is an awesome film but it’s not my favorite film by Gus Van Sant. I’m still miffed that we will never get Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season. APPLESAUCE BITCH!
I grew up on Beetlejuice as a kid as anyone who was born in the 80s back then would quote that film and we all got in trouble for that line…. NICE FUCKIN’ MODEL!
My favorite film last month is a tie in my Blind Spot film in Leave Her to Heaven and Rebel Moon (the director’s cuts).
Ahah, I didn’t even realize you were referring to a scene from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. I just found it and it’s hilarious!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnESedN4vSI&t=13s
I did read your review of Leave Her to Heaven, looks intriguing! Unfortunately, I’m not a fan at all of Rebel Moon after seeing the regular cut on Netflix, I didn’t even bother seeing Part 2.
Wow, Good Will Hunting, a film that me and my classmates in film school all geeked out about when we saw it way back in 1997. We all hoped our scripts would turned into Hollywood production someday. Lol! I haven’t seen it since though, I wonder how I’d feel about it now after so many years have passed. It still amazes me how the then two little known actors were able to attract big talents like Williams and Van Sant to the project and it became a box office hit and Oscar darling.
I saw more new movies last month then I have in the past. New movies were Alien: Romulus and Costner’s Horizon Part 1, a mess of a film but I enjoyed it. New to me were Her and The Gentlemen. Then I watched a bunch of TV series. Finally finished Lupin season 3, I started watching the first few episodes way back in last October but lost interest. Thankfully, the last 3 episodes were much better. Then I remember to watch another show that I forgot about, BEEF starring Ali Wong and Steven Yuen. A dark comedy that lived up to the hype. Now I’m ready for season 2. Ha ha! I started watching the new animated Terminator series and three episodes in and I just lost interest. Same old story, nothing new.
BTW, if you’re ever going back to Vegas, I highly recommend O at The Bellagio. We saw it last time we’re in Vegas and I was very impressed.
Yeah, it was truly a dream come true for Matt & Ben, though now I realize that they got some help from big-name directors like Rob Reiner. I can’t imagine the story being done as a thriller, so good that they listened to Reiner and made it more about Will and the therapist.
Is Horizon Part 1 streaming anywhere? I might see it once Part 2 come out later when it’s out on streaming. What did you think of HER? I loved it when I saw it the first time.
I’m curious about BEEF, I might check that out at some point but there are so many shows to catch up on after I finish Monsieur Spade.
Oh ok, yeah I almost did see ‘O’ at The Bellagio but the timing of ‘KA’ worked better, and it was also spectacular!
Apparently, Casey Affleck brought the script of Good Will Hunting to Gus Van Sant while they were shooting To Die For together. Rob Reiner convinced them to turn it into a drama instead of a thriller is news to me, though.
Horizon Part 1 is on HBO Max. I enjoyed HER, it looked a bit outdated now since our technology has gotten so much advanced since it came out a decade ago. But it’s very relevant with AI advancement. I mean there are services that lonely men can sign up and have a virtual girlfriend. Lol!
I binged watch BEEF in one night since all of the episodes are 30 to 35 minutes long.
LOLOL!
My head is spinning from August viewings.
Movie wise, I watched all the Emmy nominated movies.(Unfrosted, Mr. Monk’s Last Case, Quiz Lady, Red, White and Royal Blue, and Scoop)
TV – series – all categories – about 50 shows.. give or take. There was a lot of great shows.
However, my personal fave is a miniseries called “Baby Reindeer” – a British black comedy thriller drama.
Somehow, I also got a lot of late night movies in, mostly old.
Two that I liked are: Pawn (a really great try in terms of movie making, and always entertaining) & House of Games (by David Mamet – LOVE this movie, not a try, but a success)
What a great post, Ruth. My husband and I are always struggling to find good movies and tv series. You’ve given me some ideas and more to explore. What a great reference. Thanks for sharing your reviews!