Last Movie You Watched

[Belle]

I've just enjoyed this 1947 film noir directed by Fritz Lang, "Secret Beyond the Door", photographed exquisitely by Stanley Cortez.  A lot of underscoring and main title by Miklos Rozsa.  You'll recognise all the familiar elements of Rozsa's music, if you're a fan;  dense orchestration, sequences, repetitive themes... Lovely restoration here.  It's the bluebeard story and a bit of a pot-boiler but it will keep you guessing.  Michael Redgrave has the leading part, strangely enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45SHohgrcIs

[Madiel]

I taught this film for year 11 (Australia) many years ago!!  It came under the category of "Australian grunge"!

LOL. How does it count as grunge?!?

[Madiel]

My Neighbo(u)r Totoro



The shortest Miyazaki film, centred on two sisters who move into a rickety old house with their father. First the younger and then the older sister meet spirits from the neighbouring forest.

The 'Totoro' ended up being the mascot for Studio Ghibli. It's probably simpler than some of the later Ghibli/Miyazaki films, but quite entertaining.

I'm still 6 days ahead of the expiry dates for these films, but there's another 7 to go if I do them all. Do I give Spirited Away another chance?...

[relm1]

Every now and then, I enjoy a stupid movie.  Yesterday I watched "A Very Brady Sequel" and it was quite funny.  This clip is probably the funniest bit, but anyone who remembers the equally stupid tv show will get they've completely nailed the show and its silly-isms.  I actually burst out a few times.

The shtick is the world has moved on from the 1970's but since they're in endless reruns, they're still in the 70's in their ways and mannerisms.  It was similar premise to the Barbie movie, the difference being there, the Barbie's realized the world had moved on.

[Cato]

A few days ago: the sentimental sort of Christmas movie boilerplate i would not normally watch, but exactly the sort of feel-good viewing my recuperating ladies needed:

Oh yes, completely predictable, Girl Meets Boy/Girl Gets Boy/Girl Loses Boy/Girl Gets Gets Boy Again Forever, with mildly amusing scenes now and then, cringe-worthy scenes more often than not, with mandatory Kitchen-Food-Fights or Snowball-Fights, all centered around saving the family farm, saving the restaurant, saving the book/toy/whatever store from corporate monsters!

My bachelor brother-in-law is hooked on them, as he enjoys making obscene comments about the actresses, somewhat like watching Mystery Science Theater 3000, but with a specific "edge," so to speak.   

[Belle]

LOL. How does it count as grunge?!?

Yes, good question.  It's because the film comprises caricature Australian ballroom dancers and they're of the working class variety very deliberately, speaking the argot of an Australia which largely doesn't exist now and which represents the past. Ballroom dancing was particularly liked by the working class in Australia, particularly competitions.  In fact, I wonder how the film could have appeal beyond Australia.  I never really liked it but Paul Mercurio is a fine dancer.  Above all, the film is by Baz Lurhmann; it looks good but, as ever with that director, is completely cartoonish and OTT.

[Madiel]

Well it's cartoonish on a low budget. Which works better. Though I'd say a better adjective is theatrical.

I still don't think grunge is the right adjective for the aesthetic.

[Belle]

Well it's cartoonish on a low budget. Which works better. Though I'd say a better adjective is theatrical.

I still don't think grunge is the right adjective for the aesthetic.

That's how it's referred to in Australia.  We get the not-so-subtle messaging, that's why!!

[Karl Henning]

Well it's cartoonish on a low budget. Which works better. Though I'd say a better adjective is theatrical.

Yes, as it was a stage show first. As with (say) Zombieland, the cartoonishness is simply part of the style.

[Madiel]

That's how it's referred to in Australia.  We get the not-so-subtle messaging, that's why!!

I'm Australian. I've never heard it referred to as that.

[Cato]

Zootopia 2

A worthy successor to the original movie: all kinds of laughs for young and old!

Even the musical score has wink-wink-nudge-nudge moments for Classical Music mavens!  😇

[Belle]

Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa  (in his 70's at the time), Jack Hawkins, and William Holden in a classic from director David Lean.



I had forgotten that the score was composed by Malcolm Arnold !

I have never read the novel by Pierre Boulle: I should perhaps fill in that lacuna in my education!

Lean was able to use three phenomenal screenwriters for his films "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai":  Robert Bolt, Michael Wilson, Carl Foreman.  The writing for "Lawrence" was often poetic;  certainly deeply moving.
I regard Robert Bolt as the greatest screenwriter of the post 'golden era' of cinema in the US and UK.

[Cato]

Lean was able to use three phenomenal screenwriters for his films "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai":  Robert Bolt, Michael Wilson, Carl Foreman.  The writing for "Lawrence" was often poetic;  certainly deeply moving.

I regard Robert Bolt as the greatest screenwriter of the post 'golden era' of cinema in the US and UK.

No arguments about that!  A Man for All Seasons should be in our Culture for centuries.  His version of Dr. Zhivago - as far as I am concerned - greatly improved the novel.

I have been wanting to revisit Lawrence of Arabia for some time!  Mrs. Cato needs some comedies after The Bridge on the River Kwai. 

[Karl Henning]

No arguments about that!  A Man for All Seasons should be in our Culture for centuries.  His version of Dr. Zhivago - as far as I am concerned - greatly improved the novel.

I have been wanting to revisit Lawrence of Arabia for some time!  Mrs. Cato needs some comedies after The Bridge on the River Kwai. 

Comedies after Kwai, certainly!

[Daverz]

Mrs. Cato needs some comedies after The Bridge on the River Kwai. 

Our Man in Havana

[Belle]

No arguments about that!  A Man for All Seasons should be in our Culture for centuries.  His version of Dr. Zhivago - as far as I am concerned - greatly improved the novel.

I have been wanting to revisit Lawrence of Arabia for some time!  Mrs. Cato needs some comedies after The Bridge on the River Kwai. 

I can highly recommend Kevin Brownlow's tome about David Lean;  it's all in there, and the difficult relationship he had with Alec Guiness. 

[Cato]

Comedies after Kwai, certainly!

As the old song from Julie London says...Kwai me a river! 

I can highly recommend Kevin Brownlow's tome about David Lean;  it's all in there, and the difficult relationship he had with Alec Guinness. 

Apparently things did not go well in Doctor Zhivago, but they worked together again for A Passage to India, in which Alec Guinness had practiced quite a bit for scene with a ritual Hindu dance, but it was cut completely, so...things became testy again!

[Madiel]

Update: Strictly Ballroom is the name of a band that musically could fit within the grunge genre. Yes, they apparently took their name from the movie.

But AI Google is helpfully describing this as a contrast to the glamorous aesthetic of the film. And "glamorous" is, I think, worth pointing out. It might be a working-class movie, but it's a movie about working-class people using sequins and glitter and teeth whitener.

Which, as an Australian, I've seen quite a few times.

I also have been known to listen to grunge.

And, during an attempt to understand how it could have ever been labelled as "Australian grunge", I actually stumbled across a rather good article about how Australian films like Strictly Ballroom that were released during the time period of American grunge were decidedly not part of the grunge aesthetic. They were almost the opposite. https://medium.com/outtake/arent-we-fabulous-b7de5965ea26

[Belle]

As the old song from Julie London says...Kwai me a river! 


Apparently things did not go well in Doctor Zhivago, but they worked together again for A Passage to India, in which Alec Guinness had practiced quite a bit for scene with a ritual Hindu dance, but it was cut completely, so...things became testy again!

You always seem up to speed, Cato, well done!!

[Belle]

Update: Strictly Ballroom is the name of a band that musically could fit within the grunge genre. Yes, they apparently took their name from the movie.

But AI Google is helpfully describing this as a contrast to the glamorous aesthetic of the film. And "glamorous" is, I think, worth pointing out. It might be a working-class movie, but it's a movie about working-class people using sequins and glitter and teeth whitener.

Which, as an Australian, I've seen quite a few times.

I also have been known to listen to grunge.

And, during an attempt to understand how it could have ever been labelled as "Australian grunge", I actually stumbled across a rather good article about how Australian films like Strictly Ballroom that were released during the time period of American grunge were decidedly not part of the grunge aesthetic. They were almost the opposite. https://medium.com/outtake/arent-we-fabulous-b7de5965ea26

Excellent comments!  A great article attached.  I still regard "Priscilla" as grunge because of its caricatures.  And that's how I would teach it, had I not retired 2 decades ago.  But it's good to hear the younger generation perspective.

Spoiler alert;  I'm over 70 and have adored 'vintage' film all my life;  studying, watching, analyzing. That's my specialization as a film aficionado. English teacher I taught films like "Ten Things I Hate About You", "Clueless", "A Simple Plan", etc.  However, I do remember showing "The Man With the Golden Arm" to a mid-level Year 10 and they liked it!!