Marina Caitlin Watts
Bio
Marina loves Frank Sinatra and hates decaf coffee. The native New Yorker and Cornell grad knows every word to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and thinks Shakespeare is cool. If you need her, she's waiting for Godot. Twitter: @marina_caitlin
Stories (37/0)
A Missed Opportunity: 'Bad Times at the El Royale'
WARNING: Spoilers ahead. But you probably won't want to pay to see this movie so keep reading. Director Drew Goddard's latest film Bad Times at the El Royale is a period thriller/drama/comedy/action film packed with twists, turns, timecards and an extensive penultimate scene. Two hours and twenty minutes long, EL ROYALE weaves together the story of 7 inhabitants of the titular lodge.
By Marina Caitlin Watts4 years ago in Geeks
'All the Money in the World'
Ridley Scott's latest film ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD tells the story of the miserly Jean Paul Getty, and the kidnapping of his grandson. Based on John Pearson's 1995 book Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty, the film follows the refusal of Getty's cooperation to pay a ransom for his abducted grandson in 1973. Gail Harris, Getty's daughter-in-law, gives her all to get her son back with the help of ex-CIA agent Fletcher Chase.
By Marina Caitlin Watts5 years ago in Geeks
Rob Reiner's LBJ
Rob Reiner's latest film LBJ is a political historical drama that shines a light in Lyndon Baines Johnson that not many knew of. Woody Harrelson stars as the titular character, giving new life to a president not many liked (including Reiner himself). The film follows Johnson from his days as majority leader, to becoming Kennedy's running mate, the assassination of Kennedy, and leading a nation during a most tumultuous period. The cast includes Jeffrey Donovan as the handsome JFK, Michael Stahl-David as his younger and disgruntled brother Bobby, and Jennifer Jason Leigh as a loving and supportive Lady Bird Johnson.
By Marina Caitlin Watts5 years ago in Geeks
I, Tonya
October 9 saw the US premiere of Craig Gillepsie's latest film I, Tonya at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Starring Margot Robbie as the titular role and Sebastian Stan as her manipulative husband Jeff Gillooly, the film is a dramatized documentary about the figure skater Tonya Harding. As she rises among figure skaters in the US Championships leading to the Olympics, her husband intervenes in an unorthodox way. I, Tonya focuses on the Nancy Kerrigan (portrayed by Caitlin Carver) incident where she was struck in the knee by two men hired by Harding's husband and her ex-body guard.
By Marina Caitlin Watts5 years ago in Geeks
'Dunkirk': Christopher Nolan's Latest Tour de Force
July 21 saw the premiere of Christopher Nolan's latest film.Dunkirk is the blockbuster hit we've been waiting for all summer, as it tells the story of the bravery and resilience of a little-known battle in France. The battle between the Allies and Nazi Germany took place in May and June of 1940.
By Marina Caitlin Watts6 years ago in Serve
Martin Scorsese's 'The Wolf of Wall Street'
Directed by Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street hit theatres Christmas Day 2013. Based on the best-selling memoir of the same name, The Wolf of Wall Street is the second movie that year to portray Leonardo DiCaprio as the poster-child for the American Dream gone wild. The overall excess of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby distracted us from the message at hand, regardless of Leo’s quality portrayal of Jay Gatsby.
By Marina Caitlin Watts6 years ago in Geeks
Field Of Dreams Film Review
"Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come."
By Marina Caitlin Watts6 years ago in Geeks
Why Does Don Draper Go to the Movies?
Since the conception of the motion picture, going to the movies has become a powerful form of escapism. We leave reality behind, if only for a little bit, to find satisfaction elsewhere. Sometimes we live vicariously through others, imagining a life that isn't our own. Movies can instruct, but they can also influence viewers for the worse. Regardless, going to the movies is an evergreen way to escape.
By Marina Caitlin Watts6 years ago in Geeks
Gratuitous Excess: Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby'
The greatest novel of the American dream (in my opinion) is F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. It's sad and sweet and gets read once a year as I sit on the shores of Long Island, beach chair in tow and getting roasted by the sun just to find out if it doesn't end the same way. (Spoiler--Gatsby still dies. I'd apologize for that, but if you haven't read it by now, shame on you).
By Marina Caitlin Watts6 years ago in Geeks
Silver Linings Playbook
As many (well-read and cultured) people will say, the book is usually better than the movie, with a few exceptions. One film that didn't include a major motif that the book highlighted throughout was the cinematic one of Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. The 2013 film of the same name tells the story of Pat, a man who is recovering from separation from his wife after leaving a mental institution. On his road to recovery, he befriends Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who helps him "beat his crazy by doing something even crazier." It made me laugh, cry, laugh so hard I cried, and the message of staying positive to always have that shot at a silver lining has been something I carry with myself everyday.
By Marina Caitlin Watts6 years ago in Geeks
How to Be a Journalist, According to Unrealistic Rom-Coms and Chick Flicks
I think we all can agree that writing, whether it’s as a novelist, a journalist or a blogger (or professional live tweeter...is that a real job yet?), is the sexiest profession out there. Just kidding, I think olympic swimmer takes the cake there.
By Marina Caitlin Watts6 years ago in Geeks