The Sad Losers Movie Club

We had been planning to show a Gene Hackman movie for the longest. With his unfortunate passing today, it is time to make the choice and pull the trigger.

Gene Hackman has long been my favorite actor. He could make the worst of films better. My struggle was always which one to pick. So I'm going with The Conversation (1974), a movie that remains timely 51 years later and a testament to the master that was Gene Hackman.

The Conversation (1974) is available to rent on most VOD platforms.

***Please note that we watch the film before attending the discussion and the Zoom registration link will appear on this page AFTER you RSVP to this event.***

Boston has been top of mind lately. As I write this post, I just returned from a work trip there and was in for a quick trip last January to attend a Celtics game at the Garden (pronounced Gah-den). I also called Boston my home for 10 years. I started my career there, went to school there, purchased my first home there and met my husband there. It holds a lot of wonderful memories for me and I love the opportunity to get back there any chance I get.
The characters in this week's film, Gone Baby Gone (2007) probably don't feel as warm and fuzzy about the city as I do. That's a good thing in terms of our discussion, makes it far more interesting.
I was living in Boston when this movie came out in 2007 and in my memory it was a huge hit. In retrospect, it was probably a bigger deal in Boston and surrounding areas given that the film is set there, was filmed there, was directed by Ben Affleck (hometown boy in his directorial debut) and is based on a novel by a local author.
Karl brought to my attention the very small profit this film made despite its all star cast and Oscar nomination for a then largely unknown Amy Ryan. Bostonians always think they're the center of the universe. In this case, it's not a stretch to think this movie was a success. It's a solid neo-noir thriller with very realistic depictions of the Dorchester and Southie neighborhoods and their residents.

For those of you who are interested, this movie was adapted from a Dennis Lehane novel, also titled Gone Baby Gone. Although we're not doing this one for our Page to Screen club, and won't be delving too much into the book, I mention it in case anyone wants to read it.

Gone Baby Gone (2007) is available to stream on Hoopla and PlutoTV. It is also available to rent on most VOD platforms.

***Please note that we watch the film before attending the discussion and the Zoom registration link will appear on this page AFTER you RSVP to this event.***

With the recent return of David Mamet's play to Broadway I thought this would be a perfect time to revisit the film Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) with this group. By the time we meet for this discussion I'll have seen the Broadway production of GGR and can't wait to see how it stacks up.

I will admit, I'm not always a big fan of films that are adapted from the stage but Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) is the exception (also Killer Joe!). GGR is seedy, dirty, has plenty of immorality to go around and some of the best quotable lines of dialogue in film. I think of "second prize" every time I look at my set of steak knives. You'll get the reference once you watch the film.

We realized we're a bit Pacino heavy recently (Scarface next week), but Al's done some great work and his performance as Ricky Roma in this film is superb. Throw in Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey and Jonathan Pryce and you've got an absolute murderers' row putting on a clinic for your viewing pleasure.

I'm really excited to discuss this one with all of you. It's a favorite of mine and hopefully will be one of yours too!

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) is available to stream in lots of places inlcuding Prime Video, Peacock, Hoopla, PlutoTV and Plex. It is also available to rent on most VOD platforms.

***Please note that we watch the film before attending the discussion and the Zoom registration link will appear on this page AFTER you RSVP to this event.***