Last Movie You Watched

[Karl Henning]

A classic!    Edge of the seat tension....

You are my lucky star....

[aligreto]

Blue Jay





This is a wonderful film. There are basically only two actors and the plot revolves around them meeting up after some time and reliving their past, together with all of the issues and baggage involved. It is a charming film and definitely worth a look.

[SonicMan46]

Showboat (1936) w/ Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Charles Winninger, et al - Criterion's just released restoration of the Edna Ferber classic novel w/ words/music by Oscar Hammerstein II & Jerome Kern - both the new visuals and audio are superb for an 84 y/o film - as usual, Criterion offers an excellent booklet (written by Gary Giddins) and numerous special features (listed below first quote) - after watching the film, we viewed the Paul Robeson tribute narrated by Sidney Poitier and the 'Recognizing Race in Show Boat', a recent half hour look at the racial issues and stereotypes of the times, told by Professor Shana Redmond, UCLA.

Wife and I being BIG Broadway musical fans of course loved the 'new' presentation - for those into this genre, the Criterion BD gets my highest recommendation - Showboat was a seminal musical on the New York stage (see second quote - start of a Wiki article) in 1927, and sits next to Oklahoma (1943) (both w/ lyricist Hammerstein) as early precedents in the musical's development - NOW, one of dear friends who grew up in NYC and hates musicals would likely say 'meh' -   Dave

SPECIAL FEATURES
* New, restored 4K digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
* Audio commentary from 1989 featuring American-musical historian Miles Kreuger
* New interview with James Whale biographer James Curtis
*Recognizing Race in "Show Boat," a new interview program featuring professor and author Shana L. Redmond
*Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist (1979), an Academy Award–winning short documentary by Saul J. Turell, newly restored
*Four performances from the sound prologue of the 1929 film version of Show Boat, including songs from original Broadway cast members Helen        Morgan, Jules Bledsoe, and Tess Gardella, plus twenty minutes of silent excerpts from the film, with audio commentary by Kreuger
*Two radio adaptations of Show Boat, featuring stage and screen cast members Morgan, Allan Jones, and Charles Winninger; producer Orson Welles; and novelist Edna Ferber 
PLUS: An essay by critic Gary Giddins

The musical was first produced in 1927 by Florenz Ziegfeld. The premiere of Show Boat on Broadway was an important event in the history of American musical theatre. It "was a radical departure in musical storytelling, marrying spectacle with seriousness", compared with the trivial and unrealistic operettas, light musical comedies and "Follies"-type musical revues that defined Broadway in the 1890s and early 20th century. (Source)

.
 

[GioCar]

This afternoon on Netflix



Wow! Who the hell are those brothers Safdie? Never heard of them, but their movie is amazing, as weel as Adam Sandler.
Among the best films I've seen lately.

[George]

This afternoon on Netflix



Wow! Who the hell are those brothers Safdie? Never heard of them, but their movie is amazing, as weel as Adam Sandler.
Among the best films I've seen lately.

For sure, a helluva film. I checked out the film they did prior to this one, but didn't like it nearly as much. YMMV.

[greg]

Hush

It was alright, was kinda expecting more shenanigans than what there were. Definitely the quietest movie I've ever seen.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Came in partway on this movie:    It was filmed in black and white and is from 1964 starring some of the greats:  Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, and more.  Gripping!  Will have to catch it from the beginning when I have a chance.  It has to do with what can happen when military communications go awry.  Still think that it is relevant these days (though we do have more safeguards in place these days).  Makes you think.

Is anyone else here familiar with this film?

PD

[Karl Henning]

Came in partway on this movie:    It was filmed in black and white and is from 1964 starring some of the greats:  Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, and more.  Gripping!  Will have to catch it from the beginning when I have a chance.  It has to do with what can happen when military communications go awry.  Still think that it is relevant these days (though we do have more safeguards in place these days).  Makes you think.

Is anyone else here familiar with this film?

PD

Never heard of it, but it sounds interesting!

[Karl Henning]

Last night, I watched Alien Resurrection, which is my least favorite of the franchise, for (to start with) the following reasons:

A. Supreme Script Stupidity # 1 they check the crew of the Betty for weapons, supposedly they will not allow weapons, but they let them board the Auriga with their weapons.

B. The underwater swim through the kitchen was impossible, Vriess in particular drowned;  and they should have known it was impossible from the challenges to the cast in filming the sequence

C.  Related to that, firing those weapons underwater had to have been one super-dumb idea

D.  Supreme Script Stupidity # 2  As Call is a machine, I just don't believe that the gunshot to her chest rendered her "unconscious"

E. No, I don't believe the "false start by the alien" hosted inside Purvis, when the latter shrugs it off and says, "I'm okay."

F.  The ridiculously miraculous pool-shot carom gunplay by whichever member of the Betty crew that is

G. Supreme Script Stupidity # 3 The Baby getting sucked/blown out into space through a pinhole in a window

Is there anything I like about the movie?

Although it's bad Junk Science, I do rather like Ripley 8 as a character (I'll suspend my disbelief in that case.

Related to that, although the 1-7 holding lab is another of those "looking is difficult" experiences, I really like Weaver's performance there (as 8, I mean)

The Ripley 8/Call relationship is one of the highlilghts of the script.


Also, Ripley's explanation to Purvis. "Any questions?"

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Never heard of it, but it sounds interesting!

You might find it on Turner Classics or one of the On Demand or something like it services.

[SonicMan46]

Never heard of it, but it sounds interesting!

Well, back when I was in HS (early '60s - yep, I'm OLD!), the 'Cold War' was in all of our minds and nuclear annihilation considered a possibility - consequently, novelists and Hollywood jumped on the 'bandwagon' to make some $$ writing about and filming these 'armageddon' type scenarios - below, just a few that come to mind from that era - I'm sure others can add more!    Dave

P.S. I saw 'Fail Safe' years ago (and may have read the book - can't remember?)
.
     

[SimonNZ]

There was an interesting lesser-known one with Powers Boothe and Rebecca DeMornay as bomber pilots I'd quite like to see again.

I know I saw Fail Safe a couple of decades ago but I can barely remember it now.

edit:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By_Dawn%27s_Early_Light

[Kaga2]

Came in partway on this movie:    It was filmed in black and white and is from 1964 starring some of the greats:  Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, and more.  Gripping!  Will have to catch it from the beginning when I have a chance.  It has to do with what can happen when military communications go awry.  Still think that it is relevant these days (though we do have more safeguards in place these days).  Makes you think.

Is anyone else here familiar with this film?

PD

Yes, a famous movie. It was quasi remade a few years ago, but stick to the original. Fonda is great. Well worth a watch.

[aligreto]

No Escape





The story of an American worker and his family caught up in a coup in Asia. Watchable.

[Karl Henning]

Last night, I watched Alien Resurrection, which is my least favorite of the franchise, for (to start with) the following reasons:

A. Supreme Script Stupidity # 1 they check the crew of the Betty for weapons, supposedly they will not allow weapons, but they let them board the Auriga with their weapons.

B. The underwater swim through the kitchen was impossible, Vriess in particular drowned;  and they should have known it was impossible from the challenges to the cast in filming the sequence

C.  Related to that, firing those weapons underwater had to have been one super-dumb idea

D.  Supreme Script Stupidity # 2  As Call is a machine, I just don't believe that the gunshot to her chest rendered her "unconscious"

E. No, I don't believe the "false start by the alien" hosted inside Purvis, when the latter shrugs it off and says, "I'm okay."

F.  The ridiculously miraculous pool-shot carom gunplay by whichever member of the Betty crew that is

G. Supreme Script Stupidity # 3 The Baby getting sucked/blown out into space through a pinhole in a window

Is there anything I like about the movie?

Although it's bad Junk Science, I do rather like Ripley 8 as a character (I'll suspend my disbelief in that case.

Related to that, although the 1-7 holding lab is another of those "looking is difficult" experiences, I really like Weaver's performance there (as 8, I mean)

The Ripley 8/Call relationship is one of the highlilghts of the script.


Also, Ripley's explanation to Purvis. "Any questions?"

Quoth Columbo, "Just one more thing."

Call being a drpid, I do not believe she needed trial-&-error when spritzing breath samples in here attempt to gain access to Ripley 8

[aligreto]

Love Happens





A romantic tale with a bit of a difference. As these things go it is worth your time.

[Florestan]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_(2017_film)

A moving film. Particularly interesting for me because gave me the opportunity of hearing the Basque language.

[greg]

The Platform

Definitely a unique, interesting movie. The ending is a bit open to interpretation...

[Karl Henning]

     Coronavirus State-By-State Projections: When Will Each State Peak?

The model makes some key assumptions about how state leaders will act — and depending on what they do, the picture could change. First, it assumes that all states will continue social distancing through the end of May, which is longer than the White House has asked Americans to practice social distancing. Second, it assumes states that have not already implemented three key social distancing measures — closing schools, closing nonessential businesses and issuing stay-at-home orders — will do so in one week.

This second assumption is particularly important for a state like Massachusetts, which has closed nonessential businesses and schools, but has not ordered residents to stay at home. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has resisted calls to mandate a stay-at-home order, though he has enacted a voluntary stay-at-home advisory. "I do not believe I can or should order U.S. citizens to keep confined to their homes for days on end," Baker said last month.

Wrong thread, Ernie.

[drogulus]

Wrong thread, Ernie.

     Fixed