Last Movie You Watched

Started by Drasko, April 06, 2007, 07:51:03 AM

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JBS

Quote from: Ken B on September 15, 2019, 02:56:44 PM
Crooked House
2017

Based on the book by Agatha Christie. It's hard to put a finger on just why, but this doesn't really work. It's reasonably faithful, and seems like it should have been better than it is, but isn't. I suppose having Julian Sands in the cast never helps.

I think I can out the finger on "why" fairly easily.  Agatha Christie is "why". She is my least favorite author among the "Golden Age" mystery writers. Mrs. Marple and  Poirot are fully fleshed out over the years, but the stories and supporting cast seem mechanical and contrived, the resolutions of the mystery falling flat. The only Christie movie I liked was the Finney version of Murder on the Orient Express, but that's because it was filmed in high 1930s style, not because of the story itself.  I like the portrayals of Poirot by Ustinov and Suchet...but the character himself, not the overall story.

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Madiel

Quote from: JBS on September 15, 2019, 05:38:35 PM
I think I can out the finger on "why" fairly easily.  Agatha Christie is "why". She is my least favorite author among the "Golden Age" mystery writers. Mrs. Marple and  Poirot are fully fleshed out over the years, but the stories and supporting cast seem mechanical and contrived, the resolutions of the mystery falling flat. The only Christie movie I liked was the Finney version of Murder on the Orient Express, but that's because it was filmed in high 1930s style, not because of the story itself.  I like the portrayals of Poirot by Ustinov and Suchet...but the character himself, not the overall story.

I started reading the very earliest Christie novels. They're quite funny at times. The very first one has a joke about murder mysteries on the first page.

I gather that it's generally agreed she went downhill later on.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Ken B

Quote from: JBS on September 15, 2019, 05:38:35 PM
I think I can out the finger on "why" fairly easily.  Agatha Christie is "why". She is my least favorite author among the "Golden Age" mystery writers. Mrs. Marple and  Poirot are fully fleshed out over the years, but the stories and supporting cast seem mechanical and contrived, the resolutions of the mystery falling flat. The only Christie movie I liked was the Finney version of Murder on the Orient Express, but that's because it was filmed in high 1930s style, not because of the story itself.  I like the portrayals of Poirot by Ustinov and Suchet...but the character himself, not the overall story.
Ah, but I rather liked the book.

The 1948 Ten Little Indians is superb. The later ones, not.

Please don't tell me you're a Dorothy Sayers fan!

Quote from: Madiel on September 15, 2019, 05:52:22 PM
I started reading the very earliest Christie novels. They're quite funny at times. The very first one has a joke about murder mysteries on the first page.

I gather that it's generally agreed she went downhill later on.

She did, but she had a good run from the late 20s to the late 40s, with a lot of good books. There are a few good books from the 50s, but not a lot and none from the 60s at all.

JBS

Quote from: Madiel on September 15, 2019, 05:52:22 PM
I started reading the very earliest Christie novels. They're quite funny at times. The very first one has a joke about murder mysteries on the first page.

I gather that it's generally agreed she went downhill later on.

There is also the fact that in some things she was the first to things that became commonplace later, so it's a situation like music, where we can't hear Beethoven's music the way his first audiences did.  The Murder of Roger Ackroyd used a rather simple, but fundamental, narrative twist, and became an instant classic not because it was a great story, but because no one had thought of using that narrative twist before. [Not specifying what the narrative twist is so as not be a spoiler for those that haven't read it.]

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Ken B

Quote from: JBS on September 15, 2019, 06:09:17 PM
There is also the fact that in some things she was the first to things that became commonplace later, so it's a situation like music, where we can't hear Beethoven's music the way his first audiences did.  The Murder of Roger Ackroyd used a rather simple, but fundamental, narrative twist, and became an instant classic not because it was a great story, but because no one had thought of using that narrative twist before. [Not specifying what the narrative twist is so as not be a spoiler for those that haven't read it.]
Same with Crooked House, ironically.
If you want an intricate puzzle with an intricate solution you want John Dickson Carr or Ellery Queen, But they have their own shortcomings.

Madiel

Quote from: JBS on September 15, 2019, 06:09:17 PM
There is also the fact that in some things she was the first to things that became commonplace later, so it's a situation like music, where we can't hear Beethoven's music the way his first audiences did.  The Murder of Roger Ackroyd used a rather simple, but fundamental, narrative twist, and became an instant classic not because it was a great story, but because no one had thought of using that narrative twist before. [Not specifying what the narrative twist is so as not be a spoiler for those that haven't read it.]

I've read that one before so I know the twist, and it's a damn good one.

EDIT: Also something that I cannot imagine working on film.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Ken B

Quote from: Madiel on September 15, 2019, 06:15:42 PM
I've read that one before so I know the twist, and it's a damn good one.

EDIT: Also something that I cannot imagine working on film.

Before I forget. I recommend Gilbert Adair, The Act Of Roger Murgatroyd as an excellent send up of AC and the Golden Age Of Detection in general.

JBS

Quote from: Ken B on September 15, 2019, 06:06:55 PM
Ah, but I rather liked the book.

The 1948 Ten Little Indians is superb. The later ones, not.

Please don't tell me you're a Dorothy Sayers fan!

She did, but she had a good run from the late 20s to the late 40s, with a lot of good books. There are a few good books from the 50s, but not a lot and none from the 60s at all.

Heh, 10 Little Indians is for me the prime example of a contrived mechanical plot that falls flat.

Dorothy Sayers wrote some of the best detective novels in the English language. The characters are three dimensional, the plots realistic but  true puzzles, and with plenty of comic relief.  The Nine Tailors may be the greatest English mystery story...and it so good, it is not a spoiler to note that the presumed "murder victim" was not murdered. Gaudy Night is another one, in which the focus is on women's role in the workplace, and the complications of detective fiction as literature are put on display [Harriet Vane is a sort of self portrait, and she struggles in the novel with writing a story that pays appropriate attention to characterization that does not enslave characters to the plot.] There's a brilliant little scene, totally irrelevant to the main story, in which the British literary scene is parodied with sharp hilarity. (And Gaudy Night is really a novel about Oxford University. There's a crime, but no murder.)
Quote from: Ken B on September 15, 2019, 06:15:06 PM
Same with Crooked House, ironically.
If you want an intricate puzzle with an intricate solution you want John Dickson Carr or Ellery Queen, But they have their own shortcomings.
Come to think of it, I don't remember ever reading Crooked House. She wrote so many!

Have not read much by Carr, but liked all I have read.

Quote from: Madiel on September 15, 2019, 06:15:42 PM

EDIT: Also something that I cannot imagine working on film.
Agreed.

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Ken B

Quote from: JBS on September 15, 2019, 06:32:53 PM
Heh, 10 Little Indians is for me the prime example of a contrived mechanical plot that falls flat.

Dorothy Sayers wrote some of the best detective novels in the English language. The characters are three dimensional, the plots realistic but  true puzzles, and with plenty of comic relief.  The Nine Tailors may be the greatest English mystery story...and it so good, it is not a spoiler to note that the presumed "murder victim" was not murdered. Gaudy Night is another one, in which the focus is on women's role in the workplace, and the complications of detective fiction as literature are put on display [Harriet Vane is a sort of self portrait, and she struggles in the novel with writing a story that pays appropriate attention to characterization that does not enslave characters to the plot.] There's a brilliant little scene, totally irrelevant to the main story, in which the British literary scene is parodied with sharp hilarity. (And Gaudy Night is really a novel about Oxford University. There's a crime, but no murder.)Come to think of it, I don't remember ever reading Crooked House. She wrote so many!

Have not read much by Carr, but liked all I have read.
Agreed.

Well, we should really find another thread for this. I might make one.
But the 9 Taylors is one of the dullest books I have ever read! And the gimmick is instantly obvious, which doesn't help. I just find her snobbery unbearable, and her lower class characters (and speech) especially awful.
What one Sayers would you recommend to a skeptic? The only one I kind of liked was Advertise.

Carr also used the name Carter Dickson. Almost all his books from 1935 to 1946 are good, but to me the standouts are
The Judas Window
Til Death Do Us Part
The Problem of the Green Capsule (aka the BlackSpectacles)
The Hollow Man (aka the The Three Coffins)

JBS

Quote from: Ken B on September 15, 2019, 06:57:56 PM
Well, we should really find another thread for this. I might make one.
But the 9 Taylors is one of the dullest books I have ever read! And the gimmick is instantly obvious, which doesn't help. I just find her snobbery unbearable, and her lower class characters (and speech) especially awful.
What one Sayers would you recommend to a skeptic? The only one I kind of liked was Advertise.

Carr also used the name Carter Dickson. Almost all his books from 1935 to 1946 are good, but to me the standouts are
The Judas Window
Til Death Do Us Part
The Problem of the Green Capsule (aka the BlackSpectacles)
The Hollow Man (aka the The Three Coffins)

Sorry, if you thought Nine Tailors was dull, there's no hope for you nothing I can suggest.

Movie relevance: Hollywood made a movie based on the last Wimsey novel, Busman's Honeymoon. General consensus is that it is a lousy movie.

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Ken B

Quote from: San Antone on September 15, 2019, 08:02:08 PM
Crime/detective writers I like:

Ellis Peters  (the Brother Cadfael novels)
Elmore Leonard
Colin Dexter (Inspector Morse series)
Tony Hillerman

Yeah, someone should start a thread for this topic.

TD

Not sure if this counts, but I just watched the first (2 hour) installment of Ken Burns' Country Music.

I will

JBS


TD

Not sure if this counts, but I just watched the first (2 hour) installment of Ken Burns' Country Music.
[/quote]

How is it?

[Burns strikes me as a kind of Topsy: when he is good he is very good, when he is bad he is very bad]

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SimonNZ

Quote from: JBS on September 15, 2019, 08:14:43 PM
TD

Not sure if this counts, but I just watched the first (2 hour) installment of Ken Burns' Country Music.


How is it?

[Burns strikes me as a kind of Topsy: when he is good he is very good, when he is bad he is very bad]

Which of his do you think of as "very bad"?

Hadn't heard he'd done one on Country music.

Karl Henning

Quote from: San Antone on September 16, 2019, 03:05:14 AM
How is it?

[Burns strikes me as a kind of Topsy: when he is good he is very good, when he is bad he is very bad]


The first episode covers the roots of country music (going back to earliest settlers and music brought over from Ireland, Scotland and England) and the major artists/recordings of the 20s and 30s.  Well done.  I've been studying the history of this music for the last few years and I didn't learn anything new, but thought he covered the material accurately and well balanced. 

Would be an excellent introduction to someone who has only had a superficial knowledge of, or exposure to, country music.

Nice.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Ken B

The French Connection

I did see this before, probably in the 70s. The chase, though silly, still works. The movie in toto is unmemorable.

JBS

Quote from: SimonNZ on September 15, 2019, 10:03:45 PM
Which of his do you think of as "very bad"?

Hadn't heard he'd done one on Country music.

1)  Jazz.

2) It's brand new, being shown on PBS over 8 weeks.  You can stream the episodes here
https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music

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JBS

Quote from: San Antone on September 16, 2019, 03:05:14 AM
How is it?

[Burns strikes me as a kind of Topsy: when he is good he is very good, when he is bad he is very bad]


The first episode covers the roots of country music (going back to earliest settlers and music brought over from Ireland, Scotland and England) and the major artists/recordings of the 20s and 30s.  Well done.  I've been studying the history of this music for the last few years and I didn't learn anything new, but thought he covered the material accurately and well balanced. 

Would be an excellent introduction to someone who has only had a superficial knowledge of, or exposure to, country music.

Thanks.  The second installment is on tonight....

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SimonNZ

Quote from: JBS on September 16, 2019, 11:11:19 AM
1)  Jazz.


Ah. I thought the final episode was a trainwreck - blindly following Marsalis' conviction that most of post 1970 Jazz is beyond the pale and Not Jazz. But I thought it was fine up to that point - at least as something aimed at the non-specialist or new listener.

aligreto

The Way, Way Back





An interesting and engaging film about the development and coming of age of a young teenage boy and the resolution of family issues. This is not the first time that I have seen it and it makes for enjoyable viewing.

Ken B

Drums Along the Mohawk
John Ford 1939

The Blue Dahlia
1945. Stars Veronica Lake and was written by Raymond Chandler.

I had to watch Mohawk in stages. It has some good scenes, but I usually struggle with Ford. First (and last) viewing. Most people like it, but it's just so very very John Ford.

I had seen Blue Dahlia before. It's pretty good, if not up to what it should have been. VL turns my crank about as hard as it can be turned though.