Last Movie You Watched

[Karl Henning]

(About time, perhaps):
Rush Hour 3

[André]

Both films are splendid IMO. Poignant but with a streak of fantasy reminiscent of Fellini.

[aligreto]

Both films are splendid IMO. Poignant but with a streak of fantasy reminiscent of Fellini.

Cheers André. Any reference to Fellini is good for me.

[SonicMan46]

Well, trying to get my wife to look at some films in my fairly large video collection - last night:

L.A. Confidential (1997) w/ Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, and David Strathairn - for those not familiar w/ this 'neo-noir' classic from the late '90s, see first quote below - nominated for nine Academy awards, including 'Best Picture' but lost to Titanic, a film that I really disliked (don't own and have never seen it again) - the comments in the second quote from Blu-ray.com pretty much mirror my own feelings - SO, if you're into 1950s cop films w/ a LOT of killing and blood baths, then this one should be a must watch -   Dave

L.A. Confidential is a 1997 American neo-noir crime film directed, produced and co-written by Curtis Hanson. The screenplay by Hanson and Brian Helgeland is based on James Ellroy's 1990 novel of the same name, the third book in his L.A. Quartet series. The film tells the story of a group of LAPD officers in 1953, and the intersection of police corruption and Hollywood celebrity. The title refers to the 1950s scandal magazine Confidential, portrayed in the film as Hush-Hush. (Source)

While teenage girls began to weep when Titanic's Jack Dawson slid beneath the icy waves, I began to weep when it was declared Best Picture at the 70th Academy Awards, handily leaving four more satisfying films -- As Good As It Gets, The Full Monty, Good Will Hunting and, of course, director Curtis Hanson's pulpy tale of cops, corruption, and celebrity, L.A. Confidential -- gasping for air in its wake. Now I don't claim to understand what goes through an Academy voter's head when making their final selection, and I don't like to definitively declare one Oscar-nominated film's value over another, but, in this case, I have to cry foul. Everything about Hanson's golden era Hollywood epic, from its searing screenplay to its pitch-perfect performances to its sweltering cinematography, makes Titanic look superficial and inadequate. As a sprawling ensemble piece, it's a masterwork; as a tri-pronged character study, it's a stunning achievement; as a period film, it's a mesmerizing glimpse into the dark depths of a seemingly idyllic decade. Make no mistake, L.A. Confidential is one of the finest films of all time.(Source)

 

[Ken B]

Well, trying to get my wife to look at some films in my fairly large video collection - last night:

L.A. Confidential (1997) w/ Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, and David Strathairn - for those not familiar w/ this 'neo-noir' classic from the late '90s, see first quote below - nominated for nine Academy awards, including 'Best Picture' but lost to Titanic, a film that I really disliked (don't own and have never seen it again) - the comments in the second quote from Blu-ray.com pretty much mirror my own feelings - SO, if you're into 1950s cop films w/ a LOT of killing and blood baths, then this one should be a must watch -   Dave

 

I am a big fan of the movie and the book. Too bad Ellroy went into a quality tailspin after that book — he started believing the hype. The man's ego makes Trump's look tiny.
The Big Nowhere is also good.

[SimonNZ]

I thought Ellroys memoir My Dark Places was very good.

Total agreement that the film LA Confidential is superb - I've seen it maybe a dozen times now. And that Titanic is dreck - I'm amazed I sat through all of it once.

[aligreto]

Arrival





I enjoyed it.

[Madiel]

X-Men: Apocalypse



Hmm. I realised just before watching this that it was one of the lowest-rated films in the X-Men series. I can see why. It's really not that involving. Many of the characters are there because you're supposed to recognise them, not because they're going to do anything interesting. The ethical questions that are at the heart of many of the franchise's best moments didn't really land for me in this one.

[André]

Arrival





I enjoyed it.

Me too. The suspense element is kept simmering without overdoing the alien thing, with the focus turning back to the human element at the end.  It made me think of Pasolini's Teorema, where the character's lives are forever altered after the 'visitation' of the angel.

[pjme]

Excellent!

[aligreto]

Me too. The suspense element is kept simmering without overdoing the alien thing, with the focus turning back to the human element at the end.  It made me think of Pasolini's Teorema, where the character's lives are forever altered after the 'visitation' of the angel.

I do not know Pasolini's Teorema so I will have to check that one out André.

[TheGSMoeller]

Excellent!

I'm jealous! One that i'm greatly anticipating. Banderas just won best actor at Cannes a few days ago.

[SonicMan46]

Last few nights, selections from my video collection at the wife's approval:

Charlie Wilson's War (2007) w/ Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, & Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charles Wilson (1933-2010) was a Congressman from Texas instrumental in supporting the Afghan mujahideen (see short quote below) - directed by Mike Nichols - recommended.

Ace In The Hole (1951) w/ Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling et al; Billy Wilder, director - Ratings: 8.2/10, IMDB; 90%, Rotter Tomatoes; and 4/4, Roger Ebert (review HERE) - about a ROTTEN journalist - see second quote below for more.  Criterion restoration (package includes both a BD, DVD + extra disc of specials) is superb (review HERE) - highly recommended.  Dave

Charlie Wilson's War is a 2007 American biographical comedy-drama film, based on the story of U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson and CIA operative Gust Avrakotos, whose efforts led to Operation Cyclone, a program to organize and support the Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet–Afghan War.(Wiki)

With flaws that outweigh his talent, reporter Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) has bounced across the country from job to job. Winding up in New Mexico, Tatum gets work from the local newspaper, but finds that there's not much in the way of pressing news. However, when Tatum catches wind of a treasure hunter (Richard Benedict) trapped in a mineshaft, he turns the story into a media sensation. Soon Tatum is using unscrupulous tactics to draw out the situation, an approach that comes back to haunt him.

 

[Mirror Image]

Watched this classic with my mom tonight (which she has never seen before --- surprisingly):

[SimonNZ]

^I've said it before. but damn Wes Studi was great in that.

a few nights ago:



the true-story-which-actually-isnt of Victorian era doctors specializing in curing women of "hysteria" through genital massage, and in dealing with hand cramps due to the popularity of their procedure inventing the vibrator.

I was skeptical going in, but liked the cast, and it turns out to be a really fun romp - and, somehow, safe viewing for even the prudish.

[pjme]

I'm jealous! One that i'm greatly anticipating. Banderas just won best actor at Cannes a few days ago.

It is a beautiful, slowish film that mixes childhood memories (Spain ca anno 1950-1960)  with the rather sad, lonely, (drug infused) daily life of a film director/writer. There's no melodrama at all. Here's an (ageing) artist who looks back at his life and Almodovar (helped by Banderas acting) allows us to share these subtle, very personal, melancholy insights.

[ritter]

It is a beautiful, slowish film that mixes childhood memories (Spain ca anno 1950-1960)  with the rather sad, lonely, (drug infused) daily life of a film director/writer. There's no melodrama at all. Here's an (ageing) artist who looks back at his life and Almodovar (helped by Banderas acting) allows us to share these subtle, very personal, melancholy insights.

I must watch this one...when Almodóvar is good, he's really good (e.g., All about my Mother, Volver, and many of the early films). On other occasions, he can be a bit self-complacent and cliché-ridden (IMHO, Talk to her falls in this category). But there's almost universal consensus that this new film is top-drawer Almodóvar.

[Mirror Image]

^I've said it before. but damn Wes Studi was great in that.

He sure was and, for me, he was one of the great movie villains. Some of the best villains are the ones that believe they're not a villain but doing what they feel is the right thing to do. I had some sympathy for Magua in that his family were killed by the English and the Huron tribe have endured much hardship, but the man simply had it coming to him, especially after killing Uncas. This last fight scene was incredible:

https://www.youtube.com/v/Dhrg6SH9yvE

[SonicMan46]

Anatomy of a Murder (1959) w/ James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, and others on the cover below; Otto Preminger, Director; Music by Duke Ellington who appears briefly in the film - short synopsis below; the young Remick beautiful as ever!  And, George C. Scott in one of his early roles. The Criterion AV restoration is superb, as expected (review HERE) - highly recommended.  Dave

Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler (James Stewart) takes the case of Army Lt. Manion (Ben Gazzara), who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife (Lee Remick) claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick (Brooks West) and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer (George C. Scott) to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner (Kathryn Grant), who's hiding a dark secret.

 

[TheGSMoeller]

It is a beautiful, slowish film that mixes childhood memories (Spain ca anno 1950-1960)  with the rather sad, lonely, (drug infused) daily life of a film director/writer. There's no melodrama at all. Here's an (ageing) artist who looks back at his life and Almodovar (helped by Banderas acting) allows us to share these subtle, very personal, melancholy insights.

Thank you for the reply, pjme!

I must watch this one...when Almodóvar is good, he's really good (e.g., All about my Mother, Volver, and many of the early films). On other occasions, he can be a bit self-complacent and cliché-ridden (IMHO, Talk to her falls in this category). But there's almost universal consensus that this new film is top-drawer Almodóvar.

All About My Mother is an all-timer for me.