Last Movie You Watched

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

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Karl Henning

Quote from: Christo on December 23, 2023, 11:46:20 AMFor the fourth time: Das Leben der Anderen. The best German movie I know:

Good to "see" you, Johan!
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

Mookalafalas

Quote from: Karl Henning on December 23, 2023, 08:47:39 AMI guess I'm zagging: I watched Elf and Mr Magoo's Christmas Carol.

  Watched Elf again also. My son had never seen it.
It's all good...

Todd

#36082


Rewatched one of the better adaptations of Stephen King source material, and one of the two 1987 flicks featuring two future governors, The Running Man, for the first time in many years.  I had forgotten how swift yet efficient the setup is before getting to the OTT/stupid action.  The theme of media manipulation of reality is, if anything, more salient now than in the 80s, and the demonstration of how a person's reputation can be instantly and malignantly and dishonestly destroyed to fulfill selfish ends also has some contemporary salience.  Surely some aspiring film student could write an extensive thesis on the profundity and insight and vision of Starsky in directing this flick.  Or something similar could be done regarding King's source.  But really, I wanted to watch the mighty Gus Rethwisch in all his roided glory, the estimable Jim Brown in action movie tough guy mode, see the inevitable cameos and minor roles filled by Arnold's friends, hear the (admittedly second-rate) one-liners, and, most enjoyable of all, watch Richard Dawson as one of the most perfectly cast villains in the history of cinema.  Since the day I first watched this movie in 1987, his character has stuck in my memory, and his demand to speak to the Justice Department, Entertainment Division before demanding to speak to the President's agent has elicited many a chuckle.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

SonicMan46

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - story and cast below - one of my wife's favs (also named Susan) - although I own a lot of holiday movies (many now 'in the cloud') we usually just alternate them and watch a few a year at this time; winner of 3 Oscars including Gween as supporting actor.

The Bishop's Wife (1947) - plot and cast quoted - a wonderful movie this time of year (or any other!) - nominated for 5 Academy Awards winning its one Oscar for sound.  Dave :)

QuoteMiracle on 34th Street is a 1947 American Christmas comedy-drama film released by 20th Century-Fox, written and directed by George Seaton and based on a story by Valentine Davies. It stars Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn. The story takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas in New York City, and focuses on the effect of a department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real Santa. The film has become a perennial Christmas favorite. (Source)

QuoteThe Bishop's Wife is a 1947 American supernatural romantic comedy film directed by Henry Koster, starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. The plot is about an angel who helps a bishop with his problems. The film was adapted by Leonardo Bercovici and Robert E. Sherwood from the 1928 novel of the same name by Robert Nathan. (Source)

 

Karl Henning

Quote from: SonicMan46 on December 24, 2023, 10:43:37 AMThe Bishop's Wife (1947) - plot and cast quoted - a wonderful movie this time of year (or any other!) - nominated for 5 Academy Awards winning its one Oscar for sound.
Very fond of this one! Someday I should watch Miracle. Wonder if it's on Tubi?... Happy Holidays, Dave!
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

SonicMan46

Quote from: Karl Henning on December 24, 2023, 11:12:46 AMVery fond of this one! Someday I should watch Miracle. Wonder if it's on Tubi?... Happy Holidays, Dave!

Hi Karl - seasons greetings to you and family (and all other GMGers who celebrate at this time of the year) - you know, I don't own The Bishop's Wife but was a free watch with Amazon Prime, otherwise a $3 SD or HD rental; checked MAX and Netflix, not available - on Apple TV for free but likely through Prime Video.  Dave :)

DavidW

Quote from: Karl Henning on December 24, 2023, 11:12:46 AMVery fond of this one! Someday I should watch Miracle. Wonder if it's on Tubi?... Happy Holidays, Dave!

I believe both of those movies are on prime.  Miracle on 34th St is my Mother's favorite Christmas movie.  My favorites are A Christmas Story and It's A Wonderful Life.

Karl Henning

Quote from: DavidW on December 24, 2023, 01:27:38 PMI believe both of those movies are on prime.  Miracle on 34th St is my Mother's favorite Christmas movie.  My favorites are A Christmas Story and It's A Wonderful Life.
It's a Wonderful Life is a great fave of mime, too!
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

Papy Oli

Quote from: Karl Henning on December 24, 2023, 02:34:43 PMIt's a Wonderful Life is a great fave of mime, too!

Not being a Bah Humbug but how I wish James Stewart did mime it instead indeed  >:D  :P

 :blank:
Olivier

Karl Henning

Quote from: Papy Oli on December 24, 2023, 03:10:34 PMNot being a Bah Humbug but how I wish James Stewart did mime it instead indeed  >:D  :P

 :blank:

Me & my typos....
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

Papy Oli

Quote from: Karl Henning on December 24, 2023, 04:18:56 PMMe & my typos....

One man's typo is another man's wishful thinking  ;)
Olivier

DavidW

The Bishop's Wife and A Charlie Brown Christmas made for a good evening, thanks for the rec Dave!

George



Me and the Mrs. saw this tonight. Some gorgeous shots in this, emotional scenes, great performances and great music. And great direction by Bradley.   
"It is a curious fact that people are never so trivial as when they take themselves seriously." –Oscar Wilde

Karl Henning

Quote from: DavidW on December 24, 2023, 07:27:25 PMThe Bishop's Wife and A Charlie Brown Christmas made for a good evening, thanks for the rec Dave!
I found the 1955 TV movie of Miracle on 34th Street on YouTube. Utterly charming. And now, Peter Falk in Murder, Inc.
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

Brian

Quote from: George on December 25, 2023, 05:22:30 PM

Me and the Mrs. saw this tonight. Some gorgeous shots in this, emotional scenes, great performances and great music. And great direction by Bradley.   

We just watched it tonight as well! Although I agree with everything you said, I didn't like it as much. It was uncannily like the experience of being in the room with Lenny himself: vivacious, surprising, charismatic, but a little overbearing and claustrophobic. In part because Cooper chose to keep the camera on him or Mulligan during conversations with others, so you were limited in how much you could even see the other characters. It also focused very much on his personal life and sort of assumed his genius and resume as things the audience would either know or not be interested in. (My mom's review was, "They didn't really show him doing West Side Story."  ;D )

Someone else posted earlier that the color parts were more enjoyable than the b&w, which I agree with.

I thought the Ely Mahler performance recreation was a jaw dropping achievement. To conduct a real performance with a real orchestra...of one of the most complex bits of music ever...as an actor...while acting as someone else...is pretty incredible. (He really earned the directorial flourish of revealing Felicia in the wings at the last chord.)

Madiel

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget



Well, it was pretty much perfect for the afternoon of Christmas Day while everyone was digesting turkey, in that it was thoroughly undemanding, very silly, slightly funny, and reminded us vaguely of when Aardman was at the top of their game. A completely harmless way to spend an hour and a half.
Nobody has to apologise for using their brain.

Madiel

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire



I persist with watching each of these just after finishing the book (it's taken me a couple of years to finish the book this time for various reasons), and it just highlights how the films don't measure up. I don't know how I'd feel about the films if I watched them separately.

Some of the decisions to cut material and make changes are understandable. In the longest and most complex book so far, things did have to go. Several characters and subplots are completely dispensed with, and mostly that's fine. But often these Potter films suffer when they try to keep something in but handle it perfunctorily. And this time around, that includes some things that are central to the book (whether you know it on a first read or not) that just don't land very well in the adaptation.

The central 'whodunnit' element of the book is handled very differently, because there just isn't time for all the complexity as to how someone could have possibly been where they were. But the result includes a one-liner that effectively conveys that nobody noticed all year that same someone wasn't where they should have been.
Nobody has to apologise for using their brain.

Karl Henning

Quote from: Brian on December 25, 2023, 06:46:08 PMWe just watched it tonight as well! Although I agree with everything you said, I didn't like it as much. It was uncannily like the experience of being in the room with Lenny himself: vivacious, surprising, charismatic, but a little overbearing and claustrophobic. In part because Cooper chose to keep the camera on him or Mulligan during conversations with others, so you were limited in how much you could even see the other characters. It also focused very much on his personal life and sort of assumed his genius and resume as things the audience would either know or not be interested in. (My mom's review was, "They didn't really show him doing West Side Story."  ;D )

Someone else posted earlier that the color parts were more enjoyable than the b&w, which I agree with.

I thought the Ely Mahler performance recreation was a jaw dropping achievement. To conduct a real performance with a real orchestra...of one of the most complex bits of music ever...as an actor...while acting as someone else...is pretty incredible. (He really earned the directorial flourish of revealing Felicia in the wings at the last chord.)
I just caught up on the phone with an old UVa pal (a former bassoonist), and he found the movie excellent.
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

LKB

Quote from: Karl Henning on December 26, 2023, 07:46:56 AMI just caught up on the phone with an old UVa pal (a former bassoonist), and he found the movie excellent.

My brother is a Classical " semi-fan ", enjoying the more popular war-horses and lighter works. He saw Maestro with his wife, and apparently they both enjoyed it.

I find the recreation of the Ely Resurrection ( the only scene from the film I've viewed ) to be both very well done, and slightly exaggerated regarding Bernstein's conducting.

I can forgive that, and look forward to seeing the film properly.
Mit Flügeln, die ich mir errungen...

Cato

Brian De Palma's (and Tom Cruise's) Mission:Impossible is still the best one, I believe!




Here is an article from last summer about the background:

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-1-tom-cruise-de-palma-b2370418.html
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)