Last Movie You Watched

[Karl Henning]

@JBS & @Brian ... Wait Until Dark was an atypical case of Arkin playing the heavy in an intense drama.

[Roasted Swan]

Because of all the hype about the sequel to Avatar coming out, we thought we would rewatch the original (2009), a movie of which we had very little memory, except for the reaction: "It was blue."

In other words, we must not have been very impressed.

And so we remained unimpressed: marvelous designs, special effects, and animation!  Otherwise, it was okay.

But I kept a list of movies it used for its pastiche of a plot: The Matrix with a sprinkling of Star Wars mysticism mixed with assorted Westerns, The Last of the Dogmen, Little Big Man, Dances with Wolves,
and a little bit of Braveheart, True Lies, and Terminator.

I share your reaction exactly - given its (the original Avatar) apparently the highest-grossing film of all time, I couldn't have been more underwhelmed.  I have no intention of watching the new one until it turns up free inside a breakfast cereal.  I think "it was blue" should be a new critical shorthand.  What other films could/should be described by a single colour?!

[71 dB]

Because of all the hype about the sequel to Avatar coming out, we thought we would rewatch the original (2009), a movie of which we had very little memory, except for the reaction: "It was blue."

In other words, we must not have been very impressed.

And so we remained unimpressed: marvelous designs, special effects, and animation!  Otherwise, it was okay.

But I kept a list of movies it used for its pastiche of a plot: The Matrix with a sprinkling of Star Wars mysticism mixed with assorted Westerns, The Last of the Dogmen, Little Big Man, Dances with Wolves,
and a little bit of Braveheart, True Lies, and Terminator.

I never understood the hype around Avatar. It is a visually beautiful movie, but otherwise I found it uninteresting and boring. I have zero interest in the new one. Modern big budget movies are rarely interesting. They are for the most part attempts (calculated financial risks) to lure people into the theatres with LOUD trailers and well-known classic titles.

[Karl Henning]

Maybe It was blue is all there ever really was ....

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I liked the interconnectedness of creatures/life forces/the tree, etc., myself.

PD

[Brian]

I never understood the hype around Avatar. It is a visually beautiful movie, but otherwise I found it uninteresting and boring. I have zero interest in the new one. Modern big budget movies are rarely interesting. They are for the most part attempts (calculated financial risks) to lure people into the theatres with LOUD trailers and well-known classic titles.

When my friends and I watched it in university, we divided it over two nights because it was so boring we got sleepy.

[SonicMan46]

Last night, several more DVD-Rs upgraded to HD streamers on Amazon:

The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) - short synopsis below; attractive stars in the young Gibson and Weaver; Linda Hunt's Oscar winning performance is special - 4*/4* review by Roger Ebert HERE for those interested.

Wagon Master (1950) - short summary and cast below - one of director John Ford's favorite films; great ensemble acting against a backdrop of western mountain beauty (can only imagine the film in color!) - a terse but excellent review HERE - great music w/ the Sons of the Pioneers, plus spurred the TV series Wagon Train which I watched as a boy (remember the Borax commercials -  )  Dave

The Year of Living Dangerously is an Australian romantic drama film directed by Peter Weir and co-written by Weir and David Williamson. It was adapted from Christopher Koch's 1978 novel. The story is about a love affair set in Indonesia during the overthrow of President Sukarno. It follows a group of foreign correspondents in Jakarta on the eve of an attempted coup in 1965. The film stars Mel Gibson as Australian journalist Guy Hamilton, and Sigourney Weaver as British Embassy officer Jill Bryant. It also stars Linda Hunt as a Chinese-Australian man with dwarfism, Billy Kwan, Hamilton's local photographer contact, a role for which Hunt won the 1983 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film was shot in both Australia and the Philippines. (Source)

Wagon Master is an American Western film produced and directed by John Ford and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru, and Ward Bond. The screenplay concerns a Mormon pioneer wagon train to the San Juan River in Utah. The film inspired the US television series Wagon Train (1957–1965), which starred Ward Bond until his death in 1960. The film was a personal favorite of Ford himself, who told Peter Bogdanovich in 1967 that "Along with The Fugitive and The Sun Shines Bright, Wagon Master came closest to being what I wanted to achieve. While the critical and audience response to Wagon Master was lukewarm on its release, over the years several critics have come to view it as one of Ford's masterpieces. (Source)

 

[LKB]

I've always considered Avatar to be James Cameron's attempt to convince the world that all you need is stunning visuals to produce memorable and significant cinema.

I saw it in its initial release, and was unconvinced...

[SimonNZ]

I had two massive problems with that film:

Firstly, they start by saying and showing how dangerous the planet is, only to then have it become Disney-nice,

Secondly, main guy should have graduated into the natives by being accepted as their lowest, most novice, member - and treating that status as the honor it would be. Not their White Savior, ffs.

I feel like I also had a long list of smaller issues, but they've thankfully faded from memory.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Hi Poju - I've owned that film for ages but have not watched in years - maybe if the Mickey Rooney character could be deleted - 

BUT, the music by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, especially Moon River is still memorable to me (use to play the song on my accordion as a teen -  )  Dave

The character in question and Hollywood's constant search for ugliest/weirdest actors/acting for Asian characters have been debated several times in Japanese parliament.

[Cato]

Concerning Avatar: many thanks for the comments!

I share your reaction exactly - given its (the original Avatar) apparently the highest-grossing film of all time, I couldn't have been more underwhelmed.  I have no intention of watching the new one until it turns up free inside a breakfast cereal.  I think "it was blue" should be a new critical shorthand. 

What other films could/should be described by a single colour?!

Yes, despite nearly a quarter of a billion dollars (mainly for special effects), you end up with a quasi-average Western.

Except this Western was blue!   

I never understood the hype around Avatar. It is a visually beautiful movie, but otherwise I found it uninteresting and boring. I have zero interest in the new one. Modern big budget movies are rarely interesting (and try) to lure people into the theatres with LOUD trailers and well-known classic titles.

Amen!  And can previews with wanna-be-oh-so-dramatic BOOMING soundtracks become any more annoying?

Maybe It was blue is all there ever really was ....

Aye!  Maybe revisiting The Moon is Blue which was almost banned nationwide for using the word "virgin" (without being followed by "Mary") would have been more interesting!

I had two massive problems with that film:

Firstly, they start by saying and showing how dangerous the planet is, only to then have it become Disney-nice,

Secondly, main guy should have graduated into the natives by being accepted as their lowest, most novice, member - and treating that status as the honor it would be. Not their White Savior, ffs.

I feel like I also had a long list of smaller issues, but they've thankfully faded from memory.

Amen 3 times!  One of the "smaller issues" was a comment about the "weak gravity" on the planet, but that seems not to be evident most of the time!

Another problem for me was the cartoonish villain played by Stephen Lang...who was made to look like Jonah Jameson for some reason.

And a highly intelligent scientist will be puffing on cancer sticks c. 200 years in the future? 

How much money did the Tobacco Industry pay to have that placed into the movie?

Many thanks again for the comments!

[George]

Last night, several more DVD-Rs upgraded to HD streamers on Amazon:

The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) - short synopsis below; attractive stars in the young Gibson and Weaver; Linda Hunt's Oscar winning performance is special - 4*/4* review by Roger Ebert HERE for those interested.

Hi Dave,

Didn't see that film, but I enjoyed Hunt in The Practice.

[SonicMan46]

Hi Dave,

Didn't see that film, but I enjoyed Hunt in The Practice.

Hey George - worth a watch!  Dave

[SonicMan46]

Desperate Hours, The (1955) - another DVD-R > HD Amazon upgrade - synopsis and cast below which was somewhat complicated; first B&W film in Paramount's new VistaVision widescreen format - looked great on my HDTV - one of Bogie's last movies (he died in January 1957); March and Bogart excellent together (not sure that Spencer Tracy could have put in a better performance?).  Dave

The Desperate Hours is a film noir starring Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March. It was produced and directed by William Wyler and based on the 1954 novel and 1955 play of the same name, written by Joseph Hayes, and loosely built on actual events. The film takes place on the Northside of Indianapolis. The original Broadway production had Paul Newman in the Bogart role but he was passed over because Bogart was a much bigger star. The character of Glenn Griffin was made older in the script so Bogart could play the part. Bogart said he viewed the story as "Duke Mantee grown up." Spencer Tracy was originally cast as Daniel Hilliard. Although he and Bogart were very good friends, both insisted on top billing, and Tracy eventually withdrew from the picture. Fredric March replaced Tracy. The Desperate Hours was the first black-and-white film in VistaVision, Paramount's wide-screen process. In 1956, Joseph Hayes won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. (Source)

 

[71 dB]

Amen!  And can previews with wanna-be-oh-so-dramatic BOOMING soundtracks become any more annoying?

My life experience tells me things can always become more annoying even when it seems impossible.

[Karl Henning]

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Liked it so much, I'll watch again before returning this to the library.

[relm1]

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Liked it so much, I'll watch again before returning this to the library.

Never seen it but remember my parents laughing uncontrollably as they watched it when I was a kid.  Will have to add it to my must see list.

[SimonNZ]

Watched this on tv last night and confirmed the high opinion I had of it from my first viewing.

Kind of hard to believe that Robert Zemeckis made a film with so many sharp edges and so uncuddly.

[Karl Henning]

I've always considered Avatar to be James Cameron's attempt to convince the world that all you need is stunning visuals to produce memorable and significant cinema.

I saw it in its initial release, and was unconvinced...

Speaking, admittedly, as one who was uninterested in seeing the actual movie on what screen soever, the enormity of its success completely baffled me ....

[Karl Henning]

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Liked it so much, I'll watch again before returning this to the library.

Best banana peel gag (not shown in this video) I've ever seen.