The Fabelmans

[Daniel]

UK poster:

[Ben]

A friend watched his screener the other night and said this is awesome. I’ll order the 4K as soon as it’s available, which might not be too long after the UK cinema release anyway. Sounds like it’s a dead cert for Best Picture.

[Randall]

Wowzers. Nice to see a film meeting (or exceeding) expectations!

[ShyViolet]

On the Apple Store!!!!!

Rent: $ 20
Buy: $ 25

[Ben]

Wow, already!!!???!?? Wasn’t expecting that.

[Daniel]

Best Director, too!

[Ben]

Very disappointed in The Fabelmans. Not sure we really needed a two and a half hour film in which a pretty privileged kid got everything he wanted and "only" had to suffer the average kid woes in bullying and parents breaking up. The Spielberg legend is rightly famed, but the film is too wrapped up in a sugar-coated glow of nostalgia in which everyone is great and nice, and we don't really get a feel for anything going on at the time outside of the family. I really wanted to love this and identify with it, but the hardships and "issues" he had to deal with pale in comparison to some other stories, especially given that he only had to ask for a camera/train set/better camera and he got a camera/train set/better camera. I was missing any real emotional punches to then invest in the resultant triumph. Sorry!

[Daniel]

Coming to home video February 14; Valentine's Day:

WINNER OF TWO GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS® FOR BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA & BEST DIRECTOR OF A MOTION PICTURE

BRING HOME THE EXTRODINARY COMING-OF-AGE STORY THE FABELMANS

GO BEHIND THE SCENES WITH GOLDEN GLOBE®-WINNING DIRECTOR/WRITER STEVEN SPIELBERG AS HE SHARES MORE OF HIS PERSONAL STORIES THAT INSPIRED THIS YEAR’S MOST HEARTWARMING FILM

“THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR” – TIME

OWN IT WITH EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT ON DIGITAL JANUARY 17, 2023

4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY AND DVD FEBRUARY 14, 2023

FROM UNIVERSAL PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Universal City, California, January 12, 2023 – Director Steven Spielberg brings a deeply personal portrait of a 20th century American childhood in the semi-autobiographical film, THE FABELMANS, available to own on Digital January 17, 2023 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 14, 2023 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Hailed by critics as “An enduring classic” (Peter Travers, ABC NEWS), THE FABELMANS is a heartfelt tale that “we’ve been waiting 45 years for Steven Spielberg to make” (Rolling Stone). THE FABELMANS comes with exclusive bonus content that takes viewers behind the scenes with Spielberg, filmmakers and the all-star cast as they bring the audience into the world that brought Spielberg’s story to life.

Inspired by Steven Spielberg’s own childhood, rediscover the magic of movies in THE FABELMANS, a coming-of-age story about a young man uncovering a shattering family secret and the power of film and imagination to help us see the truth about ourselves and each other. With a star-studded cast featuring Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea, My Week with Marilyn), Paul Dano (The Batman, There Will Be Blood), Seth Rogen (Steve Jobs, An American Pickle), Gabriel LaBelle (The Predator, “American Gigolo”) and Academy Award® nominee Judd Hirsch (Uncut Gems, Ordinary People), THE FABELMANS tells a timeless tale of heartbreak, healing, and hope for the dreamer inside all of us.

BONUS FEATURES ON BLU-RAY, DVD & DIGITAL:

THE FABELMANS: A Personal Journey (11 minutes) - Steven Spielberg reflects on how THE FABELMANS is inspired by his own personal story and family.
Family Dynamics * (15 minutes) - Discover how the film's cast brought THE FABELMANS to life as Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen and more build a bridge between their onscreen personalities and their true-life counterparts.
Crafting the World of THE FABELMANS * (22 minutes) - From costume and set design to music and cinematography, the filmmakers behind THE FABELMANS reveal how they created movie magic while capturing the film's unique look.
*Not on DVD

I take it this is one you won't be purchasing?

[Ben]

I will probably pass on this one, yeah. Just not compelling, sadly.

[Randall]

I had a client this week, who said she really liked the movie, but hated the ending. Why?

She didn't know who the director was at the end of the film. "All they said is 'Mr. Ford.' I don't who that is. Some guy who directed John Wayne films. How am I supposed to know who that is? They never even said his first name. I was so confused." I haven't seen the film yet, but I told her it was obviously John Ford - who of course she still never heard of, because she's not a film buff. So I asked her if it would have mattered if they said it was "John Ford", instead of "Mr. Ford," and she said, "I guess not."




(Was John Ford mentioned earlier in the film at all?)

And that's the type of audience member the studio worries about.

I was just watching the bonus features on the Kingdom of Heaven Blu-ray this week. Ridley Scott mentions how studios prefer for you to dumb films down, so that they appeal to a broader audience. And it's true. But it's sad.

Anyhoo, I know that this obviously doesn't apply to Ben, our local film expert. But I do look forward to seeing the film to see how much more I like it than him.

[Ben]

Don’t get me wrong. I liked it enough, but it’s not a compelling story. Fairly privileged kid who has to put up with a mild version of the same stuff that almost everyone else has to at some point gets everything he wants. Where’s the inherent movie drama in that?

And, yes, unfortunately, one of any filmmaker’s unwritten mantras — especially when crafting what is intended to be a commercial release — is that we have to remember that the audience is dumb. Whenever anything isn’t clear or too ambiguous, always err on the side of caution, because "the audience are idiots" and you don’t want to lose them. Which this story proves the point on, really!

Sadly, it also proves that film history and the legendary figures that once really did only need a "Mr Ford" or "Mr Hitchcock" are fading faster from collective memories than we would like, or choose to believe. Maybe Ford could have been set up a *little* better — he isn’t mentioned specifically earlier, but then little Steve *does* walk through an office filled with posters of the films Ford directed, so your client probably hasn’t seen any of those either, or realise their significance!

No spoiler, but the bigger "treat" for the real buffs is who is *playing* Ford, which is very cool in itself!

[Randall]

I think I did hear who played Ford, but I've forgotten, and will try not to remember before I see it.

Oh, and the same person was quite enthralled to find out that Steven Spielberg had changed his name from "Fabelman". She never knew that before!! (She was totally serious.)

Sigh.

[Ben]

[Ben]

Interesting take. Glad I’m not the only one who feels this way…

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/steven-spielb ... 40964.html

[Randall]

The writer pretty much nails it. I found nothing to disagree with (though I haven't seen Fabelmans yet).