Last Movie You Watched

[Karl Henning]

I should re-watch Celebrity.

I remember liking it the first time. I'd forgotten that it's b/w. As with Blue Jasmine,  it's a pleasure to rediscover afresh. 

[Karl Henning]

For that time period, I like Celebrity and Whatever Works.

One fun thing these two have in common is that while the director is not part of the cast, his character is, played by Ken Branagh in Celebrity and by Larry David in Whatever Works.

[ritter]

Watched Alice Rohrwacher's La Chimera in the cinema the other evening.



This came highly recommended to me, and the critics praised it through the roof ("one of the best films of 2023", "one of the best Italian films ever", that kind of stuff).

Well, it's OK, but it didn't live up to expectations, at least to mine. Beautifully shot, no doubt, and very well acted —by Josh O'Connor, Carol Duarte, Isabella Rossellini  et al.—, but too artsy, a bit pretentious to be truly great IMHO (it's as if it were trying too hard to be a cinematic masterpiece). But worthwhile.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Revisited Celebrity. Wonderful movie. Slightly hinting Fellini's La Dolce Vita. Beethoven 5th, Billie Holiday, et al. are effectively utilized in the movie.

[Karl Henning]

Revisited Celebrity. Wonderful movie. Slightly hinting Fellini's La Dolce Vita.

Yes, I didn't make that connection on my own. Branagh is so hapless, hitting on woman after woman. Love it when he tries to run out and reclaim his MS. Robin's struggles are so affecting.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

One fun thing these two have in common is that while the director is not part of the cast, his character is, played by Ken Branagh in Celebrity and by Larry David in Whatever Works.

Protagonists in some of his movies remind me of Allen. In a few movies, however, protagonists are totally different from him. Ie., a protagonist in his "Sweet and Lowdown' is a jazz guitar player. I wonder what motivated Woody to make the movie.

[Cato]

Recently I was thinking of a two-part movie, one of the best stories ever made, on the level of Greek tragedy:






They are the two parts of the book by Marcel Pagnol called The Water of the Hills.

[ritter]

Recently I was thinking of a two-part movie, one of the best stories ever made, on the level of Greek tragedy:






They are the two parts of the book by Marcel Pagnol called The Water of the Hills.

I rewatched both films a couple of years ago, after having seen them in the cinema when they were first released. Thoroughly enjoyed them!

[Cato]

Protagonists in some of his movies remind me of Allen. In a few movies, however, protagonists are totally different from him. Ie., a protagonist in his "Sweet and Lowdown' is a jazz guitar player. I wonder what motivated Woody to make the movie.

One of the greatest Woody Allen movies - starring but not made by Woody Allen - is:

[Cato]

One of the best movies in our collection:


The Spitfire Grill

A young woman hit by tragedies throughout her childhood and into early adulthood tries to find a new life in a small town in Maine.

It has one of the finest speeches you will hear in any movie: delivered by Will Patton toward the end.


Music by James Horner, with help from Gustav Mahler's Second and Third Symphonies!





Highly recommended!

[Cato]

One of the best movies in our collection:


The Spitfire Grill

A young woman hit by tragedies throughout her childhood and into early adulthood tries to find a new life in a small town in Maine.

It has one of the finest speeches you will hear in any movie: delivered by Will Patton toward the end.


Music by James Horner, with help from Gustav Mahler's Second and Third Symphonies!





Highly recommended!

The actress at the center of the movie is Alison Elliott, who should have gotten a Best Actress award and become better known, but...

[Cato]

A 1935 comedy with Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Edmund Gwenn, and Brian Aherne.




Katharine Hepburn pretends to be a man, Cary Grant has a Cockney accent, and comic chaos ensues most of the time.

A good number of jokes, of course, come from Hepburn's role as a fake man.  Probably in 1935 one would have viewed the movie as giddily edgy. 

There are some good lines:

Hepburn to Cary Grant: "You've got the mind of a pig!"

He: "It's a pig's world!"   

[NumberSix]

Doc (1971)

Stacy Keach plays Doc Holliday, and Faye Dunaway is his love interest. I saw this one mentioned in Tarantino's book amongst other early 70s cynical films. In this one, Wyatt Earp as described by Tarantino is a fascist murderer instead of a hero. I have to agree. He's thoroughly unlikable.

The film is a bit slow moving at times, but it doesn't pull any punches philosophically. Dunaway is a powerhouse actress, and I adore her. But this is not her best work. I don't feel like she and Keach sparkled strongly.

One other thought:

Everything I know about Wyatt Earp comes from Tombstone (well, and John Ford and Henry Fonda). A number of little details in this film made me think that the makers of Tombstone studied it. For instance, the way Morgan Earp says "brother" several times is very similar to the way Bill Paxton says it. And this Wyatt Earp several times knocks down a bad guy using the butt of his pistol, which is something Kurt Russell also does.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Doc (1971)

Stacy Keach plays Doc Holliday, and Faye Dunaway is his love interest. I saw this one mentioned in Tarantino's book amongst other early 70s cynical films. In this one, Wyatt Earp as described by Tarantino is a fascist murderer instead of a hero. I have to agree. He's thoroughly unlikable.

The film is a bit slow moving at times, but it doesn't pull any punches philosophically. Dunaway is a powerhouse actress, and I adore her. But this is not her best work. I don't feel like she and Keach sparkled strongly.

One other thought:

Everything I know about Wyatt Earp comes from Tombstone (well, and John Ford and Henry Fonda). A number of little details in this film made me think that the makers of Tombstone studied it. For instance, the way Morgan Earp says "brother" several times is very similar to the way Bill Paxton says it. And this Wyatt Earp several times knocks down a bad guy using the butt of his pistol, which is something Kurt Russell also does.

I saw the movie when I was a kid, and I was not impressed. I must revisit the movie as Doc Holliday is my favorite hero. Tombstone is a fine movie.

[brewski]

After seeing the "Black and Chrome" version of Mad Max: Fury Road, I think I'm ready to commit to "favorite action movie of all time." (Other contenders: Aliens, Terminator II, The Fugitive, some of the Bond films, and perhaps a few in the Mission: Impossible series.)

I do want to see the color version at some point. But here is the sandstorm sequence from the black-and-white print, which is just a knockout piece of filmmaking.

-Bruce

[DavidW]

After seeing the "Black and Chrome" version of Mad Max: Fury Road, I think I'm ready to commit to "favorite action movie of all time." (Other contenders: Aliens, Terminator II, The Fugitive, some of the Bond films, and perhaps some in the Mission: Impossible series.)

I do want to see the color version at some point. But here is the sandstorm sequence from the black-and-white print, which is just a knockout piece of filmmaking.

-Bruce

"What a day!  What a lovely day!"
"WITNESS!  WITNESS ME!!"
"I live!  I die!  I live again!"

I love that movie.

[DavidW]

I rewatched Robocop.  It was spot on the prediction for Detroit, and not far off for over-commericalization.  I especially liked the ad for a name-brand heart replacement. "And remember, we care."  It is such a funny movie.



I want a car with shitty gas mileage!



I'd buy that for a dollar!

[brewski]

"What a day!  What a lovely day!"
"WITNESS!  WITNESS ME!!"
"I live!  I die!  I live again!"

I love that movie.

(To the quotes)

Just saw it a couple of years ago, late in the game. The previous Mad Max films were (and are) excellent, but this one raised the bar considerably. I remember at the 2016 Oscars, it was nominated for a ton of awards, but Spotlight won Best Picture — haven't seen that one yet. But it's hard for me to imagine a more bravura bit of filmmaking than this one.

-Bruce

[Karl Henning]

I rewatched Robocop.  It was spot on the prediction for Detroit, and not far off for over-commericalization.  I especially liked the ad for a name-brand heart replacement. "And remember, we care."  It is such a funny movie.



I want a car with shitty gas mileage!



I'd buy that for a dollar!

Of all the things which the remake did not refresh, that irreverent sense of humor is what I miss most.

[DavidW]

Of all the things which the remake did not refresh, that irreverent sense of humor is what I miss most.

I forgot there even was a remake!