Last Movie You Watched

[VonStupp]

What Dreams May Come (1998)
Robin Williams
Anabella Sciorra & Cuba Gooding, Jr.

A 'peek-at-Heaven' sort of movie that should be remembered for its unusually vibrant colors and unique art effects.

Unfortunately, Cuba Gooding, Jr. discussing what happens to suicide victims in the afterlife to RW is now overly tragic, as are the almost too-sad events in the film.

VS

[aligreto]

Night Hunter:





This somewhat hard hitting psychological thriller.

[Karl Henning]

Friends had me over last night, and we watched Joel Coen's Macbeth with Denzel Washington & Frances MacDormand. I enjoyed it very much, and its visual graces seemed an homage to Kozintsev. Tasty score by Carter Burwell, too.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Friends had me over last night, and we watched Joel Coen's Macbeth with Denzel Washington & Frances MacDormand. I enjoyed it very much, and its visual graces seemed an homage to Kozintsev. Tasty score by Carter Burwell, too.

I didn't know that he had done a movie like that; how faithful is it to the story/Shakespeare Karl?

PD

[Karl Henning]

I didn't know that he had done a movie like that; how faithful is it to the story/Shakespeare Karl?

PD

It's billed as "based on" there are some elaborations (mildly intriguing) and some additional text borrowed from Henry V and Twelfth Night.

[SimonNZ]

It's billed as "based on" there are some elaborations (mildly intriguing) and some additional text borrowed from Henry V and Twelfth Night.

Really? I didn't pick up on that. Which parts were these?

It seemed a pretty straightforward abridgement of the play to me.

[Karl Henning]

Really? I didn't pick up on that. Which parts were these?

It seemed a pretty straightforward abridgement of the play to me.

The Henry V borrowing (if I'm not mistaken) is at Cawdor's execution (which is offstage in the play.) The Twelfth Night they borrowed is a bit of Feste's song spoken by the old man who harbors Fleance.

[SimonNZ]

Interesting. I'll probably see it again at some point and look out for those. Thanks.

[aligreto]

The Old Guard:





This is a stylish thriller cum action film which meets fantasy along the way. It was a pleasant enough watch as these things go. It was a more real world take rather than a lot of the more juvenile takes on this kind of fantasy. It is probably the beginning of one of those franchises.

[SonicMan46]

Oliver Twist (1948) w/ John Davies as Oliver, Alex Guinness as Fagin, and Robert Newton as Sykes - short summary below. I have an old DVD and wanted to upgrade to HD at least which was offered by HBO on my subscription.  A cinematic classic that was controversial back then (see LINK, if interested), especially for Guinness' heavy make-up, including a large prosthetic nose which was considered anti-Semitic (not good after WW II!) - ratings: 7.8/10, IMDB; 100% Rotten Tomatoes; and 4.7/5, Amazon - certainly a 4 of 5 for me if not 4.5 - highly recommended.  Dave

Oliver Twist is the second of David Lean's two film adaptations of Charles Dickens novels. Following his 1946 Great Expectations, Lean re-assembled much of the same team for his adaptation of Dickens' 1838 novel, including producers Ronald Neame and Anthony Havelock-Allan, cinematographer Guy Green and otherss. Lean's then-wife, Kay Walsh, who had collaborated on the screenplay for Great Expectations, played the role of Nancy. John Howard Davies was cast as Oliver, while Alec Guinness portrayed Fagin and Robert Newton played Bill Sykes. In 1999, the British Film Institute placed it at 46th in its list of the top 100 British films. (Source)

 

[aligreto]

Deliver Us From Evil:





I like a good horror film. It is difficult to find one nowadays that is not so over the top with effects and sensationalism and has a story that is credible. This is a very good one. It is, apparently, based on true events. It is very well done, slightly understated and very credible. It also has great tension in it. Once it gets into the meat of things it is not necessarily for the faint of heart. I thought that it was very well done.

[SonicMan46]

Another upgrade from an old blu-ray to a 4K UHD Amazon streamer - looked great!

Patriot Games (1992) w/ Harrison Ford as former CIA agent, Jack Ryan - one of the films based on the Tom Clancy novels about the Ryan character - rest of the casting below, much more at the link - this film was followed by Clear and Present Danger (also available as a 4K UHD streamer for $10 USD - maybe?).  If you're into Harrison in this Clancy role, then recommended.  Dave

Patriot Games is a 1992 American action thriller film directed by Phillip Noyce and based on Tom Clancy's 1987 novel. The film is a sequel to the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October, but with different actors in the leading roles, Harrison Ford starring as Jack Ryan and Anne Archer as his wife. James Earl Jones reprises his role as Admiral James Greer. The cast also includes Sean Bean, Patrick Bergin, Thora Birch, Samuel L. Jackson, James Fox, and Richard Harris. (Source)

 

[aligreto]

Man On Fire:





This is a hard hitting story of kidnapping in Mexico City. The plot has an interesting twist. I thought that Washington was very good in it. It is a long film but it kept me engaged until the end.

[VonStupp]

Used Cars (1980)
Kurt Russell, Jack Warden (in a dual role)
Frank McRae, 'Grandpa' Al Lewis, Alfonso Arau
Joe Flaherty, Dick Miller, Michael McKean, Dub Taylor

Great early 80's fun!

 

[LKB]

A few years after that film came out, I was... selling used cars. The movie's more entertaining, l promise.

[VonStupp]

A few years after that film came out, I was... selling used cars. The movie's more entertaining, l promise.

[SonicMan46]

Green Book (2018) w/ Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, and others.  Short synopsis below of the movie and also bio of Don Shirley and a tour he did w/ Frank Vallelonga to the 'Deep South' - own this as a 4K UHD streamer on Amazon - our third watch and will do again!  Nominated for 5 Academy Awards and winner of 3, including an Oscar for Best Picture and one for Ali as Supporting Actor. Highly recommended.  Dave

P.S. Shirley is well represented on Spotify (and assume other streaming services); I have a 4 hr playlist there - worth a listen!

Green Book is a 2018 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Peter Farrelly. Set in 1962, the film is inspired by the true story of a tour of the Deep South by African American classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley and Italian American bouncer Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga, who served as Shirley's driver and bodyguard. The film was written by Farrelly, Brian Hayes Currie and Vallelonga's son, Nick Vallelonga, based on interviews with his father and Shirley, as well as letters his father wrote to his mother. The film is named after The Negro Motorist Green Book, a mid-20th century guidebook for African-American travelers written by Victor Hugo Green. (Source)

Donald Shirley (1927–2013) was an American classical and jazz pianist and composer. He recorded many albums for Cadence Records during the 1950s and 1960s, experimenting with jazz with a classical influence. He wrote organ symphonies, piano concerti, a cello concerto, three string quartets, a one-act opera, works for organ, piano and violin, a symphonic tone poem, and a set of "Variations" on the 1858 opera Orpheus in the Underworld. (Source)

   

[Karl Henning]

Used Cars (1980)
Kurt Russell, Jack Warden (in a dual role)
Frank McRae, 'Grandpa' Al Lewis, Alfonso Arau
Joe Flaherty, Dick Miller, Michael McKean, Dub Taylor

Great early 80's fun!

 

Jack Warden! No foolin'!

[aligreto]

Silent Hours:





Quite a long but quite a good psychological thriller.
This one comes with a health warning though. There is quite a bit of sexual violence and mutilated bodies that end up in bath tubs; hence the cover art. However, this is not gratuitous violence and the film is well put together with a good twist at the end. 

[VonStupp]

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)

My oldest daughter finished reading her first Harry Potter book, so we watched the movie afterwards too. We had a nice discussion about what a book-to-film adaptation means, although this movie is pretty comprehensive.

I did not remember, however, that this was over 2 1/2 hours long! Yikes!

VS