Last Movie You Watched

[SonicMan46]

Hi, Dave! The movie stroke me as propaganda through and through but I greatly enjoyed what Gibson's character retorts at some time; I fear one tyrant 10,000 miles away much less than 100 of them at home (or something to that effect) --- with respect to whether the colonies should stay within UK or declare independence. 

Hi Andrei - beginning of the Wiki article quoted below w/ an emphasis on 'historical fiction'!  Over the decades living in the Carolinas and visiting many of the areas where these events took place (and having read numerous books on the subject and the characters, a recent one on Francis Marion, the 'Swamp Fox') - the battles of Camden (at the beginning) and Cowpens (at the end) are all wrong although wonderfully filmed - I've been to Camden, SC - the battle took place outside of town, i.e. no houses; also have visited Cowpens, again not the way shown.

The British colonel, William Tavington is a fictional representation of Banastre Tarleton, who indeed was known as 'The Butcher' - whether he did all that was shown in the film is doubtful.  General Daniel Morgan virtually destroyed his army at the Battle of Cowpens, leading Cornwallis to retreat to Wilmington, NC to lick his wounds before entering Virginia, and ending up at Yorktown - and we know how that ended.

The southern campaign was more a civil war between the colonists and much of the 'butchery' took place not w/ the British soldiers but between the 'Tories' and 'Patriots', so I guess that would qualify in part as propaganda - Roger Ebert's review HERE, if interested.  BUT for me, the attraction of the movie is the filming in an area well known to me in our many travels here.  How would I rate the movie?  Probably 3* to 4* depending on whether ranking the distortion of history or the atmospheric scenery more important?  Dave

The Patriot is a 2000 American historical fiction war film directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Robert Rodat, and starring Mel Gibson, Chris Cooper, Heath Ledger, and Jason Isaacs. The film mainly takes place in rural Berkeley County, South Carolina, and depicts the story of an American Colonist, nominally loyal to the British Crown, who is swept into the American Revolutionary War when his family is affected. Benjamin Martin is a composite figure who Rodat has stated is based on four factual figures from the American Revolutionary War: Andrew Pickens, Francis Marion, Daniel Morgan, and Thomas Sumter.

The film takes place during the events of the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War. It attracted controversy over its fictional portrayal of historical British figures and atrocities, especially with the infamous burning church scene, of which there is no historical record. Critic Roger Ebert wrote: "None of it has much to do with the historical reality of the Revolutionary War". (Source)

[Florestan]

The British colonel, William Tavington is a fictional representation of Banastre Tarleton, who indeed was known as 'The Butcher' - whether he did all that was shown in the film is doubtful. 

Yes, Banastre Tarleton is one of the main reasons I call the movie propaganda. That Tavington guy reminded me of oh so many Nazi colonels committing oh so many atrocities in oh so many movies about WWII. I always ask myself: had the Loyalists won and there had been no independent USA, or had the Nazi won, how would the Patriot or the Allied colonels have been portrayed in movies? And I always answer my own question thus: precisely and exactly like Tavington or Col. Hans Landa in Inglorious Bastards: Patriots butchering Loyalist's childre and burning their churches, and Englishmen and American officers sadically torturing innocent German civilians. 

The southern campaign was more a civil war between the colonists and much of the 'butchery' took place not w/ the British soldiers but between the 'Tories' and 'Patriots', so I guess that would qualify in part as propaganda - Roger Ebert's review HERE, if interested.

This, too.

BUT for me, the attraction of the movie is the filming in an area well known to me in our many travels here.   

I can see where you're coming from. I liked The Tourist (stupid and far-fetched plot) for the sole reason of its taking place in Venice, so there. 

[aligreto]

The Town





This is a hard hitting crime thriller which can be violent but there is a good story to it.

[TheGSMoeller]

[aligreto]

The Daughter





This is a film about lies and deception and the impact that they have and the consequences that follow. It makes for good viewing.

[vandermolen]

David Copperfield.
Great fun, captures the essence of the novel and good soundtrack:

[vandermolen]

The Town





This is a hard hitting crime thriller which can be violent but there is a good story to it.

I taught Rebecca Hall History A Level.

[vandermolen]

Parasite

[aligreto]

Aftermath





This is based on a true story about a mid air plane crash and the subsequent death of his wife and daughter have on a man. All that he seeks is an apology from the airline but that is not forthcoming. He then seeks his own retribution. It was not Arnie's finest acting display. 

[aligreto]

I taught Rebecca Hall History A Level.

Is that why she became an actress as opposed to a history teacher?!?! 

[vandermolen]

Is that why she became an actress as opposed to a history teacher?!?! 

Haha. I think that she was always destined to be an actress as she had been in films and TV stuff since she was very little. She was good at History though, although not so good at handing in her essays, as she was always so focused on her acting. My History dept. colleague asked Rebecca if she could imagine that she was playing the role of someone writing a history essay! Rather a boring part though.

[André]

Howl's Moving Castle by Miyazaki. Not as enchanting as Spirited Away, with strong characters but a rather loose storyline. Superb animation. Miyazaki's special touch is immediately recognizable.

[aligreto]

My Cousin Rachel





This is a wonderful period drama. Sometimes we can get things so very wrong. It is definitely worth a watch.

[SonicMan46]

Ox-Bow Incident, The (1943) w/ Henry Fonda, Harry Morgan, Dana Andrews, Anthony Quinn, Jane Darwell, et al - short synopsis below - still a powerful indictment to 'mob behavior' with eerie parallels to recent race/social events in the United States (and likely elsewhere).  Highly recommended.

Petrified Forest, The (1936) w/ Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart as the gangster Duke Mantee (his mannerisms patterned after John Dillinger) - considered the film that made Bogart a star; actually filmed in the Petrified Forest (a National Park) in northern Arizona near Winslow (near the Meteor Crater), a visit for us many years ago.  Also highly recommended.  Dave

The Ox-Bow Incident is an American western film directed by William A. Wellman, starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews and Mary Beth Hughes, with Anthony Quinn, William Eythe, Harry Morgan and Jane Darwell. Two drifters are passing through a Western town, when news arrives that a local rancher has been murdered and his cattle stolen. The townspeople, joined by the drifters, form a posse to catch the perpetrators. They find three men in possession of the cattle, and are determined to see justice done on the spot. (Source)

The Petrified Forest is a 1936 American film directed by Archie Mayo and based on Robert E. Sherwood's 1935 Broadway drama of the same name. The motion picture stars Leslie Howard, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. The screenplay was written by Delmer Daves and Charles Kenyon, and adaptations were later performed on radio and television. The film is set in Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. (Source)

   

[vandermolen]

I started watching The Maltese Falcon last night.  Amazingly I've never seen it before despite being a Film Noir fan.

[Christo]

Parasite

Please, tell us more. 

[Biffo]

I started watching The Maltese Falcon last night.  Amazingly I've never seen it before despite being a Film Noir fan.

Did you finish watching it? Like Casablanca, it has a great closing line.

[Thom]

Greyhound with/by Tom Hanks. I had expected more to be frank. Still, worthwhile watching.

[Madiel]

Greyhound with/by Tom Hanks. I had expected more to be frank. Still, worthwhile watching.

Apple is so keen on this that I had to say no to watching it just to get on and use my Apple TV the way I always did back when the company was in the technology business and not the content creation business.

Which I think is the first time they've done that with any of their shows. And it is not a welcome development.

[AlberichUndHagen]

I started watching The Maltese Falcon last night.  Amazingly I've never seen it before despite being a Film Noir fan.

One of my favorite film directors, John Huston. I love that film although I like Treasure of Sierra Madre and The Asphalt Jungle even more! He also made a great performance as a depraved villain in Chinatown.