Last Movie You Watched

[aligreto]

Seen this one twice, maybe 3 times. Really like it. Billy Connolly is just so good in this 

Yes, I really like this kink of quirky humour.

[Karl Henning]

Well, having watched both Star Wars and Spaceballs, I yielded to the inevitable: my double feature last night was The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. Switched off the latter at Anakin Skywalker's funeral pyre, for the sake of decency.

[SonicMan46]

Critical Thinking w/ John Leguizamo, high school teacher who takes his inner city Miami HS team of mix raced students to the U.S. National Chess Championship and wins!  Quote below from our local independent downtown theater, the Aperture - now trying to survive by streaming movies online, as we viewed this one last night - Miami newspaper story HERE w/ more details and pics, including the original students who won the championship which included the 'national champion' of that year.  Really enjoyed and highly recommended.  I play chess poorly and tried to teach my young wife decades ago when she threw the board in the air after I was trying to teach her how to use a 'forking move' w/ my bishop - oh well, we play cribbage now -    Dave

CRITICAL THINKING is based on the story of the 1998 Miami Jackson Senior High School chess team that defied the odds and overcame incredible adversity to become the first urban high school to win the U.S. Chess National Championship. John Leguizamo stars as Mario Martinez, the determined high school teacher who's unwavering belief in his students set in motion the rise of the Miami Jackson chess team from the city streets of1998 Miami, to the spotlight as national champions.

 

[ritter]

More of the Cocteau filmography: L'éternel retour (directed by Jean Delannoy, with screenplay and dialogues by Cocteau).



A modern version of the legend of Tristan and Isolde (here "Patrice" et "Natalie"), filmed in 1943 in the "zone libre" (i.e. unoccupied France). A curious mixture of gothic (castles and stuff) and noire (Madeleine Sologne the inevitable platinum blonde, Julie Astor her brunette counterpart) aesthetics. On this occasion, Jean Marais is fortunately a bit less his insufferable self (he must have been really something in bed, because as an actor he was terrible IMHO).

Of no real interest apart from it being a product of its era and its author.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

What We Did On Our Holiday





This, ostensibly, is about a dysfunctional family who head up from London to Scotland to celebrate the 75th birthday of the children's grandfather.

For those who remember it, this film is inspired by, but not based on, the British comedy series Outnumbered which was some of the zaniest TV that I have ever seen. So you know what to expect. I found the film thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining.

If Billy Connelly is in it, I would expect it to be zany!    In a good way though.

[SonicMan46]

Last few nights:

The Producers (2005) based on the Broadway Musical w/ lyrics/music written by Mel Brooks - stars Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman et al (she's worth watching the film even if not a fan!  ) - short edited synopsis below; received mixed reviews but we enjoyed - also, own the original Mel Brooks movie and impossible to beat Zero Mostel, Jean Wilder, and Dick Shawn, but just my opinion.  Recommended.

Race (2016) - dramatic bio of Jesse Owens from his Ohio State days (including the Big Ten Tract Championship in Ann Arbor, 1935, where Owens set 3 and tied 1 world record in less than an hour - my father-in-law was present as a U of Michigan undergrad) through the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where he won 4 Gold Medals; short synopsis below.  Great performances by all w/ standouts by Stephan James as Jesse and Jeremy Irons as Avery Brundage.  Highly recommended.  Dave

The Producers is a 2005 American musical comedy film written by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan based on the eponymous 2001 Broadway musical, which in turn was based on Brooks's 1967 film of the same name starring Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder and Andreas Voutsinas. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell, Gary Beach, Roger Bart, and Jon Lovitz. The film was released in the United States by Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures in a limited release on December 16, 2005, followed by a wide release on December 25. It garnered generally mixed reviews from critics and was a commercial failure, earning $38 million worldwide from a $45 million budget. (Source)

Race is a 2016 biographical sports drama film about African-American athlete Jesse Owens, who won a record-breaking four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. Directed by Stephen Hopkins and written by Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse, the film stars Stephan James as Owens, and co-stars Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons, William Hurt and Carice van Houten. It is a co-production of Canada, Germany and France. Principal photography began in Montreal, Canada. Forecast Pictures, Solofilms, and Trinity Race produced the film, supported by the Owens family, the Jesse Owens Foundation, the Jesse Owens Trust and the Luminary Group. It won four Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Actor for James. (Source)

 

[Karl Henning]

Last few nights:

The Producers (2005) based on the Broadway Musical w/ lyrics/music written by Mel Brooks - stars Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman et al (she's worth watching the film even if not a fan!  ) - short edited synopsis below; received mixed reviews but we enjoyed - also, own the original Mel Brooks movie and impossible to beat Zero Mostel, Jean Wilder, and Dick Shawn, but just my opinion.  Recommended.

I've only watched the 1967 version with Kennie Mars ... wacky genius!

[71 dB]

Lots of J-Horror on Blu-ray! I love this stuff so much!  0:)

Ju-On: White Ghost (Ryata Miyake, 2009)
Ju-On: Black Ghost (Mari Asato, 2009)
Ring (Hideo Nakata, 1998)
Ring 2 (Hideo Nakata, 1999)
Ring 0 (Norio Tsuruta, 2000)
Dark Water (Hideo Nakata, 2001)
Pulse (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001)

[asin]B004O63TRW[/asin]
[asin]B07SMM9KRD[/asin]
[asin]B01IVUKRLC[/asin]
[asin]B01LW7YKQG[/asin]

[SonicMan46]

I've only watched the 1967 version with Kennie Mars ... wacky genius!

OH YES!  Mars played Franz Liebkind in the original Brooks movie (just a little from his Wiki bio below) - remember him in Young Frankenstein as the police inspector who kept twisting his arm -    Great comedic actor who died nearly 10 years ago - wow!  Dave

Kenneth Mars (April 4, 1935 – February 12, 2011) was an American actor, voice actor and comedian, who specialized in comedic roles. He appeared in two Mel Brooks films: as the deranged Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in The Producers (1967) and Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Friedrich Kemp in Young Frankenstein (1974). He also appeared in Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up Doc? (1972), and Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987), and Shadows and Fog (1990).

   

[Karl Henning]

OH YES!  Mars played Franz Liebkind in the original Brooks movie (just a little from his Wiki bio below) - remember him in Young Frankenstein as the police inspector who kept twisting his arm -    Great comedic actor who died nearly 10 years ago - wow!  Dave


   

He was also the magician at the circus in Shadow and Fog!

[André]

He was also the magician at the circus in Shadow and Fog!

My favorite Woody Allen film !

[Karl Henning]

My favorite Woody Allen film !

It's a beauty!

[aligreto]

The Theory of Everything





This film is the story of Stephen Hawking as I am sure you know. It was adapted from his ex-wife's memoirs. It is an English, as opposed to a Hollywood, presentation and definitely worth a watch if you have not seen it.

[71 dB]

Spiral (Rasen) (George Iida, 1998)

The bastard offspring of the Ring movie series within the twilight zone between science-fiction and horror. While it tries hard to be faithful to Koji Suzuki's novel, it lacks the impact of the better J-horror movies. Iida's directing feels nervous and disjunct. Music is rather good, but very different in feel from the other Ring movies. This movie looks strangely "western" in many ways. As if Japanese filmmakers tried to make an "American" sci-fi movie with horror elements, but with only 1/20 of the financial resources needed.

The Theory of Everything





This film is the story of Stephen Hawking as I am sure you know. It was adapted from his ex-wife's memoirs. It is an English, as opposed to a Hollywood, presentation and definitely worth a watch if you have not seen it.

I saw this on TV a year ago or so. The problem with this kind of movies is you have to keep the science minimal/secondary or 99 % of the viewers are completely lost.

[aligreto]

I saw this on TV a year ago or so. The problem with this kind of movies is you have to keep the science minimal/secondary or 99 % of the viewers are completely lost.

The ignorance of the masses, eh? I do not disagree but I did specify that it was an English presentation which makes it eminently more acceptable to my eyes.
I do however disagree with the marketing caption "A Beautiful Love Story". Even given his genius, he was quite prepared to dump his family when he felt like it, despite all that his first wife did for him. I remember feeling the same sentiment at the time it happened.

[SimonNZ]

Second viewing. Highly recommended.

[Karl Henning]

Saboteur

[SonicMan46]

Hi Karl - films below the last few days, including Saboteur last night:

Rebecca (1940) w/ Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, and others; Alfred Hitchcock, director - synopsis below - wonderfully restored on bluray by Criterion - comes w/ a second disc of specials - highly recommended.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955) w/ James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, et al; short second synopsis below - Dean's first film in a dramatic overwrought role - I still enjoy but Susan was finding the plot portrayal somewhat dated; well, still recommended, especially if you have never seen a Dean film (he made only three - others East of Eden and Giant).

Saboteur (1942) w/ Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane, Otto Kruger, and others; Alfred Hitchcock, director - last synopsis below - Cummings and Lane excellent and with the usual Hitchcock-esque ending scene - now, this was made at the beginning of WW II, so try to ignore the obligatory patriotism and enjoy as a 'spy adventure' film.  Dave

Romance becomes psychodrama in the elegantly crafted Rebecca, Alfred Hitchcock's first foray into Hollywood filmmaking. A dreamlike adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel, the film stars the enchanting Joan Fontaine as a young woman who believes she has found her heart's desire when she marries the dashing aristocratic widower Maxim de Winter (played by Laurence Olivier). But upon moving to Manderley—her groom's baroque ancestral mansion—she soon learns that his deceased wife haunts not only the estate but the temperamental, brooding Maxim as well. The start of Hitchcock's legendary collaboration with producer David O. Selznick, this elegiac gothic vision, captured in stunning black and white by George Barnes, took home the Academy Awards for best picture and best cinematography. (Source)

Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Filmed in the then recently introduced CinemaScope format and directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments. The film stars James Dean, Sal Mineo, and Natalie Wood. The film was a groundbreaking attempt to portray the moral decay of American youth, critique parental style, and explore the differences and conflicts between generations. (Source)

Saboteur is a 1942 American spy thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock with a screenplay written by Peter Viertel, Joan Harrison and Dorothy Parker. The film stars Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane and Norman Lloyd. Aircraft factory worker Barry Kane (Robert Cummings) is accused of starting a fire at the Stewart Aircraft Works in Glendale, California, an act of sabotage that killed his friend Mason (Virgil Summers). Kane believes the real culprit is a man named Fry (Norman Lloyd) who, during their efforts to put out the fire, handed him a fire extinguisher filled with gasoline, which he passed on to Mason. When the investigators find no one named "Fry" on the list of plant workers, they assume Kane is the culprit. (Source)

   

[Karl Henning]

Hi Karl - films below the last few days, including Saboteur last night:

Rebecca (1940) w/ Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, and others; Alfred Hitchcock, director - synopsis below - wonderfully restored on bluray by Criterion - comes w/ a second disc of specials - highly recommended.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955) w/ James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, et al; short second synopsis below - Dean's first film in a dramatic overwrought role - I still enjoy but Susan was finding the plot portrayal somewhat dated; well, still recommended, especially if you have never seen a Dean film (he made only three - others East of Eden and Giant).

Saboteur (1942) w/ Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane, Otto Kruger, and others; Alfred Hitchcock, director - last synopsis below - Cummings and Lane excellent and with the usual Hitchcock-esque ending scene - now, this was made at the beginning of WW II, so try to ignore the obligatory patriotism and enjoy as a 'spy adventure' film.  Dave

   

Cheers, Dave! Rebecca waxes better still with each viewing.

[SonicMan46]

Cheers, Dave! Rebecca waxes better still with each viewing.

Hi Karl - I watched two of the specials on the second Criterion disc - one on Hitchcock and another of a number of famous actresses (although Fontaine was the much lesser known) doing 'screen tests' - Olivier wanted Vivian Leigh to play the role, but Joan Fontaine was better showing a vulnerability in her voice and face that fit the role beautifully.  Dave